Victimology
by TFK-fan118
Summary: It was supposed to be a one night only type of deal. However, this situation felt too familiar to be normal. It looked too much like offender VS victim, especially to the team. Reid will have his hands full with this wild unknown subject.
1. Victim

Honestly, I don't know what to say. I've been dreaming about this for awhile now. Shortly after getting hooked on _Criminal Minds_, this starting appearing in my head. It's probably my favorite television show that comes from American.

Hey, it's rated 'M' for a reason, so look away young people! Though... young people shouldn't be reading or watching Criminal Minds anyway...

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Criminal Minds. If I did, I would surely make it so that Reid gets get all the honeys. :D

* * *

><p>How did it turn out like this?<p>

That was the question currently plaguing Dr. Spencer Reid's mind at the moment. Admittedly, he knew _how_ it happened. He just didn't understand _why_ it had to happen. Initially, he had been afraid for his life… or was it his innocence? Either way, he had been afraid. Things such as this didn't generally happen to him, after all. Still, after that period of uncertainty, it was relatively enjoyable. He wouldn't mind doing it again. However, he _could_ do without his current predicament. Being looked at as though he were a victim, _again_, was not his idea of a fun time.

"_Who's_ going to pay for my fucking door, you gung-ho jackass?" A roar came from inside.

Reid found himself sighing heavily. He could barely feel the paramedic treating his minor head injury. What he _did_ feel was an oncoming headache. It had felt something akin to his sporadic caffeine withdrawals. He closed his eyes for a moment, wishing all this chaos could fade away into a distant memory. There was no such luck, of course. This wasn't Las Vegas. This was Quantico, Virginia, and he was still sitting with the paramedics as the local officers asked him questions about the incident. Reid sighed again.

This was somehow all Morgan's fault.

0-0

To rewind things a bit, it had all started when Morgan invited the team to get a few drinks with him. He thought of it as a celebration. The team had just gotten back from a case in which they managed to save ten children and send them back to their families. It had been a good feeling to have on the plane ride back. Most agreed to his invitation. Hotch, however, declined, most likely wanting to get home to his son. Generally, with cases involving children, Hotch reacted that way once they returned home. So it didn't come as a surprise when he declined. Rossi didn't participate either, and so it was just Morgan, Garcia, Prentiss, and Reid. Now, Reid didn't mind the company. Still, he had been itching to decline Morgan's offer. However, his co-worker had been quick to retort before Reid had said anything.

_Come on, Pretty Boy, anything's better than sitting at home reading _Twilight_._

_I told you before that the _only_ reason I read it was to see why you guys laughed at me for not knowing what it was, and to this day, it was the worse decision I have ever made._

_Then don't be so antisocial, Reid. Come with us._

After a bit more persuading, he had agreed to come along. Since the 'old guys' weren't coming, they—they meaning Morgan—changed the location of the celebration. After about three glasses of alcohol, Reid had finally noticed that he was alone. They had _left_ him. Morgan, of course, was on the dance floor, flirting with the several women that surrounded him. Prentiss had disappeared to talk to some handsome stranger at the far end of the bar. Garcia, he had seen her leave. She, apparently, had to go home early. It was something involving Kevin, her boyfriend, trying to be romantic and nearly burning her place down.

This was the reason he hated outings involving clubs, and what a ridiculous name to call them by the way. Eventually, everyone would split up to have fun on their own. Clubs were disgusting his opinion. They were hot, crowded, and one of the most potential sources for predators—a cesspool. He would rather be home, curled up, rereading a good book. Instead, he was stuck here, at a club, because he had hitched a ride with _Morgan_ of all people. Speaking of his womanizing co-worker, he had said he would only be away for a moment. He had claimed he would be back to _help_ him in the lady department. Reid almost scoffed. Looking at him now, Morgan seemed way too preoccupied with drawing in as many women as he possible could.

Not that he wanted or needed _help_. Sure, he was a bit socially awkward—the others would comment on this on several occasions—but he _could_ hold conversations with women. There had been numerous cases involving women over the years, and he had spoken with quite a few of them. Apparently, though, victims didn't count according to Morgan. He sure did like to bring up Lila Archer, contradicting his _victims don't count_ remark.

Without warning, a person sat down next to him at the bar. Well, technically, she had sat two stools down, but the sudden action still caused him to flinch. Quickly, his eyes examined the young female. It had been a trait he had picked up after Tobias. Scoping his surroundings before breathing again—irritating as it was, it would probably prevent him from getting kidnapped again… maybe. He wasn't nearly as athletic as Morgan. Who was he fooling? He wasn't athletic _at all_. But enough about his lack of athletic prowess, he had a potential offender to his right. The chances of that being the case were slim—highly improbable. After all, female offenders were usually avengers or merely impulsive.

This woman didn't seem to be the impulsive type. Her deep brown eyes were… almost calculating as she stared down at the bar top. Further indication of her being into her thoughts came when she bit down on her lower glossed lip. That had been an action he used to do in high school whenever he was lost in his own thoughts. She shifted her eyes from the bar top to the dance floor several times, all the while chewing her lip. Her long black hair moved in response, sliding from her shoulders. Her eyeliner lined eyelids closed briefly as she released a sigh. "Looks like I'm walking home alone again…" she murmured. Clearly, her sentence was intrapersonal communication, not meant for anyone else's ears, yet spoken aloud. Something within him compelled him, though. Maybe it was the countless female victims he had come into contact with, which could have been less had the women traveled in a group. The thought of a person becoming a victim simply because of bad judgment made him cringe. Or maybe it was the alcohol in his system. Hell, at this point he didn't know. Still, whatever the reason, he had spoken up.

"I would advise you _not_ to do that," Reid told her. He hastily turned his eyes down to his half empty glass when she turned surprised eyes to him. In the United States 1.3 women are sexually every minute. That results in 78 assaults each hour, 1,872 assaults each day, 56,160 each month, and 683,280 each year. Potentially, these numbers could be reduced if alcohol and being alone could be taken out of the equation." After he was finish, he pressed his lips into a thin line. He had done it again. The 'ladies,' as Morgan called them, didn't want to be bored to death with his memorized statistics. Reid hesitantly glanced at the woman. She still had her eyes on him. The genius cleared his throat. Before he could speak again, to apologize, she sucked in a breath.

"Be that as it may, Wiki," she began, propping her right elbow on the bar top. _Wiki_…? "I can take care of myself just fine. I'm quite capable. Besides, my friend looks like she's getting lucky tonight with that ridiculously sexy man on the dance floor." Curious, Reid's eyes drifted. There was only one man on the dance floor, seeing as how they had given up when said ridiculously sexy man took all of the women. Derek Morgan. His co-worker seemed keen on only one woman now.

"You wouldn't be talking about Mr. Charismatic, would you?" Reid questioned.

"You know him?" she asked. He turned his focus back the woman.

"Surprisingly. Although sometimes…" he trailed off. Luckily, she seemed to get his joke and chuckled lightly.

"I know that feeling, Wiki." She sighed again. "Sometimes my friend is like my own personal menace, and at those times I don't want to claim her either."

"Wiki…?" Reid repeated.

"You know… Wikipedia. You sounded like an encyclopedia just now."

"That website isn't as credible as people make it out to be. Anyone can freely add or edit the content, and make it seem real by providing links to other spurious websites. Once, I changed the definition of classical conditioning. Originally, it is a type of learning in which a behavior, or conditioned response, comes to be elicited by a stimulus, or conditioned stimulus, that has acquired its power through an association with a biologically significant stimulus, or unconditioned stimulus. I changed its meaning to the cooling of instruments that are used to play classical music! It was there for two weeks until someone spotted it and fixed it. That is two weeks' worth of children getting the wrong information, putting it in their school papers and turning it in for a horrible grade!" Reid crossed his arms. "_My_ statistics come from the latest scholarly journals and scientific articles and are purely factual!"

"_Pfft_…!" He blinked, and then slowly turned his attention back to the woman. She wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were squeezed shut. Her shoulders trembled. It looked as though she was- "Yo-You sound s-s-so… _proud_! _Puahaahahaha_! You are such a nerd!" Yes. She had been holding back laughter, and it had now exploded from her lips. Reid felt himself flush. Reciting statistics as if they were right in front of him was something he was confident in. Ranting… Admittedly, he hadn't done a lot of it. Apparently, it was hilarious. On top of being laughed at, she had called him a nerd. He hadn't had this combination since high school. His fingers gripped his glass. It didn't bring pleasant memories. "Okay, okay, nerd—I got it. I won't call you Wiki." Finally, her laughter had subsided. She had called him nerd again. However… It had taken that second time for him to realize she had not referred to him that way, intending to insult him. The tone in her voice suggested the opposite. In fact, it _could_ be considered a term of endearment. "But since you're so against Wiki, how about you give me a real name?"

"_Ah_—Reid," he said. He cleared his throat again. "Spencer Reid."

"It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Spencer Reid." A hand was extended in his direction. "My name is Holloway." She smiled lightly as he grasped her hand. "Kelly Holloway."

It had been contagious. Reid returned the smile with ease. His heart still pounded, but at least the mood was pleasant. It had gone from pleasant to simply comfortable. Kelly was an easy person to speak with. Although there were some times where she took on that expression he was used to seeing from his co-workers—dazed and confused, he liked to call it—generally, she seemed legitimately interested. After shared chuckles, laughter, and magic tricks and statistics on his part, the club was about to close. Apparently, hours had gone by.

Reid's eyes looked around, trying to locate anyone on his team. There were no signs of Prentiss or Morgan. Great—no ride home. He checked his cell phone. He had received two messages. The first one was from Prentiss. _Go with Morgan_, it said. The second message was from Morgan. _Got lucky ;) Get ride from Emily_, it said. He had _such_ great friends. The messages were sent about fifteen minutes apart from one another—around midnight. It was now after two in the morning. He hadn't even noticed.

"Wow, she really did leave me." Kelly narrowed her eyes down at her glowing cell phone screen. Huffing, she placed the device back in her pocket. Her brown eyes turned his way. "It's getting late, so-"

"Technically, its morning, so getting early would be the-"

"You nerd," she grinned and tapped his left cheek with her index and middle finger. Clearly, she was slightly intoxicated. Kelly pulled him forward. He could feel his heart begin to increase its pace. "As I was saying, it's getting late, so take me home."

"Take you home?" Reid repeated, blinking several times in rapid succession. The woman nodded her head. "I… I don't know wh-where you live," he stammered out. Kelly giggled and said something that he could not understand. She pressed a finger to his nose.

"It's only a few minutes away from here." The woman sat up straight. "What should I do?" Her eyes closed for a moment. "A defenseless sexy woman like me, walking home all alone, with alcohol in the equation? _Haah_…! Is it my fate to become a statistic?" If memory served him well—and it did even in his tipsy state of mind—she had told him that she had two older brothers who liked to use karate on her to test their skills. Apparently, she had 'kicked their asses anyway.' She could have been lying, or exaggerating, but her boasting seemed too sincere.

"Okay, I'll t-take you home," Reid said, standing. He held her to stand as well. She wobbled a bit before standing upright. Kelly, unabashed, leaned against his shoulder. "Hey, I'm going to need your address."

The walk took about ten minutes. Although it was decided that he would take her home, she had been the one leading him. Compared to his, her hand was small. Holding a woman's hand like this—it didn't happen too often. Reid didn't know if it was the alcohol, but he did not want to let go even as Kelly fumbled to unlock her door. However, it seemed as though she had no intention of releasing him either. But, as she said, it was… late, and he needed to catch the subway. Reid pulled away before he had a chance to step into her house. Kelly stumbled before turning to face him. "What?" she asked.

"I have to get going. I have work early, and I need as much time as I can to get over a potential hangover," Reid chuckled. Kelly did not mirror his actions. Instead, she frowned. After a few moments of awkward silence, she released a heavy sigh.

"I have a confession to make, Spencer Reid." The woman shifted forward. She was very close to him. So close… _Too_ close. His heart rate accelerated yet again. He could feel her warm breath against his chin. "I do not do anything without planning ahead. Tonight, I saw you. Immediately, I wanted you, and so I sent my friend off to go flirt with Mr. Charismatic, leaving you by yourself."

"_Eh_…?" Reid squeaked out as he took one step back. Smirking, Kelly only took a step forward. She took a hold of his tie and pulled him forward.

"You think you can run away?" she whispered. "After all my careful planning, Spencer Reid?"

Okay. This was getting scary. This situation was beginning to look like a sexual predator's case he had back when Gideon was around. However, the offender was male. Most, if not all, sexual predators were _male_. This woman stood in front of him, leering. Split personality disorder…? It was plausible. He had seen it before. Kelly Holloway had seemed to transform. "_Um_… Ca-Can't we talk about this?" he asked. She suddenly put on a smile and even chuckled.

"No."

In a blink, Reid found himself on the other side of the door, pressed against it while Kelly locked the door. The sound of that click was the most dreaded sound. He always heard her keys hit the floor before he felt her hands on his chest. "K-Kelly…?" Reid yelped, feeling her fingers pinch him through his shirt. The woman continued to touch him, pushing against his body with her own. All the while, she never broke eye contact. Reid breathed deeply, trying to figure _something_ out. Her knee brushed against his crotch. Well, there goes that something. "H-Hey…!" Kelly reached up, sliding the back of her fingers up and down his right cheek.

"It's your first time with me, so I'll be gentle."

"You sou-sound like an old pedophile rapist!"

"Now, now, Spencer. I believe it was stated that you were older than me. Besides, it's not rape if you enjoy it~! Just let it happen."

"You are not helping your—_mmph_!"

A soft, warm feeling interrupted him. Without much of a warning, Kelly had taken it upon herself to silence him with her kiss. It was the opposite of her sudden demanding behavior. Slow, long, and oddly soothing—it made his eyes shut. His usually high speed thoughts slowed down the longer she held contact. Reid breathed in through his nose, inhaling her artificial scent. Some type of fruity smell, or candy maybe. On their own, his hands found her waist, fingers gripping her hips and pulling her closer. Her lips moved slightly. He could feel her smirking.

Kelly wasted no more time on such a mediocre kiss. Her tongue glided over his lips, and then thrust into his mouth. She wrapped an arm around his neck, causing his shoulders to hunch over. Her other hand returned to his chest. Moaning, Reid allowed his tongue to be played with. With each twirl, a hot feeling entered his body and spread. Wave after wave of this euphoric sensation petrified and turned him into goo at the same time. Her tongue and lips pulled away, leaving them both panting heavily. Again, his body moved on its own accord. He leaned forward, wanting another.

However, her finger was all he received. "_Ah, ah, ah_," she said. Her finger traced the edge of his lips in a slow sensual manner. She bit her own lip. Through half covered eyes, her lustful intentions were clearly seen. Kelly wrapped all of her fingers around his tie. She took several steps back, causing him to be pulled along. "It'd be uncomfortable by the door." Again, she moved, turning her body, leading him further into the house. They passed many pictures—family and friends most likely. At least that meant she wasn't a psychopathic sexual sadist. Well, he didn't have the worry about the psychopathic part. The house on had one level, if she didn't have a basement, so finding her bedroom didn't take very long. It was normal—thank God. Once she flipped the light switch, the entire area was illuminated. Her room was decorated with personal items. Awards were hung. Posters—probably of her favorite musical band—were taped to the wall. Of course, he didn't recognize the punk rock group. There was a black desk. An opened laptop was on the desk, but it was shut off. A bookcase was in the room, too. Surprisingly, he recognized a few of the titles.

Unfortunately, he didn't have enough time to examine the room in its entirety. He was pushed down on the queen-sized bed. Kelly stood over him. Reid could have sworn she snapped her teeth at him, like a shark with its prey. _"She's going to eat me…"_ he thought as he used his elbows to lift his torso. That thought hadn't seemed as unappealing as it _should_ have been. The woman began to undress, starting with her black sandals. She then wiggled out of her jean skirt. Then the shirt came off. Reid swallowed hard, taking in her appearance. Honestly, this was the first time he had been _this_ attracted to someone outside his race. Her brown skin seemed to glow under the dimmed lights.

Kelly sauntered over to the bedside, wearing only her black lacy underwear. She climbed on the bed, on top of him, teasing him with small kisses. Ignoring the tie, she proceeded to unbutton his shirt. Finally, it was slid off his shoulders. Again, his thoughts faded as she began nipping and sucking at his neck. Her hands ran down his chest, leaving no skin on his upper body untouched. Her black hair fell, tickling his shoulder. Then she attacked his lips again, most like intending to make it look like he had been thoroughly kissed.

He hadn't realized his pants were off—or his shoes—until her hand found his arousal. Reid turned his head, breaking the kiss. "W-Wait…!" He panted, wrapping his fingers around her forearm. Kelly paused her alluring assault, turning her focus on his eyes. "What… What about _uh_… _um_… protection?" Truthfully, he was more worried about being completely nude in front of such confident and beautiful woman.

"Birth control," she replied, and then proceeded to kiss him again. Once more, he turned his head away.

"I-I meant co-condoms! Sexually Transmitted Diseases are rapidly spreading, and most of the time it's not from the actual sexual intercourse!" Reid tried to reason. "If you don't have any then maybe we should-" Without a word, Kelly hopped off of him, went over to her desk, pulling out several drawers. Reid watched her, blinking several times in slight confusion. Finally, after a few moments of searching, she pulled out a single condom.

"God, you remind me of me when I was a virgin," Kelly remarked. Reid's entire face felt like fire. She chuckled, walking back over. She placed the corner of the wrapper in her mouth, held there by her clenched teeth. "Now, off with those pants!" With a swipe of her hands, he became fully exposed. Except for the tie, of course. Before he got the chance to attempt to cover himself, Kelly squeezed his knee, keeping his legs apart. With surprising quickness, his body was ready to mold with hers. Deep brown eyes found his. "You ready, nerd?" Her body slid against his. She kissed his chin. Reid could only nod. The woman's tongue entered his mouth again. The kiss was as wild and addicting as the others.

For a moment, her hands' touch disappeared from his body, only to return seconds later, along with the feeling of her naked erect breast against his chest. "_Ah_!" Her tongue had gone for his earlobe, and then her teeth. "_AHH_!" It was quite the sensitive area apparently, and Kelly seemed to relish in making him squeal because of it. She rubbed her nose back and forth against his ear. He could hear her chuckles over his excessive panting. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to take much more.

Seemingly reading his mind, Kelly stopped molesting his ear. She kissed his cheek, trailing kisses down to his chest. At last, she removed the last piece of her clothing. With a groan of bliss, the woman lowered herself down onto his member. Sighing out, she rocked back and forth. Her pelvic region moved in a slow rhythmic manner, eyes closing. Reid had squeezed his eyes shut as soon as his body felt like exploding. Kelly picked up speed, guiding his hands over her breasts. Her back arched back. She bit her lip to keep her delighted moans at bay.

The room felt like it was spinning. The friction between them—so hot and wet—made them both cry out. Did time stop for this moment? Did it go faster? Reid couldn't be sure. Their arms, legs, and fingers intertwined. Sweat continued to form as they moved together, against each other, and then together again. Eventually, it came. The intense building behind a fragile wall burst forward, equipped with its own white light. For several seconds, both Reid and Kelly's bodies were tense. Their panting, shuddering, slowed down. The woman collapsed on top of him. Her dark tresses fell on his face, yet Reid made no effort to move.

After minutes of breathing heavily, Kelly managed to find the strength to lift herself. Reid could not do the same. His body felt like lead, which was located down in the darkest part of the ocean where a giant squid held him hostage. Fortunately, he could still open his eyes. Kelly hovered over him, tired smile on her face. She massaged his lips with her own parted ones, rubbing them back and forth. "So good," she whispered, and then brushed her tongue against his bottom lip.

She lied down beside him, resting her head on his chest. Reid released one last heavy breath before his body finally came down from his high. He stared up at the white ceiling as he felt Kelly trace circles around his nipples. His thoughts came back full force, and he had a hard time keeping up with them. He, certified genius, had a hard time sorting through his own thoughts. Reid shook his head. It was certainly no wonder why average males tend to think about sexual intercourse 13 times a day, which means 4,745 times a year. With those numbers, it was amazing how they were still able to function.

Good thing he was no average male.

0-0

"Hello! Hello! Hello! You have reached the divine goddess of all things sacred! How may I assist you with your blackmailing?"

"Hey, Sweetness, have you heard from Reid yet?" Morgan's voice came from the receiver.

"He's not at his desk?"

"No, and his not picking up his cell either. He's not usually late for work. Prentiss was supposed to give him a ride home last night."

"Don't lie!" His co-worker's shout was heard. Garcia smiled as she continued to file her nails.

"Give me a minute. I'm sure Reid can't resist the call of his mystical maiden!" she told him. "Talk to you in a few."

"Thanks, Baby Girl."

With a click, the call ended, and Garcia went to work contacting Spencer Reid's phone. It rang several times before the familiar sound of a pickup was heard. Garcia grinned triumphantly. She had the magic touch, that's all. Her tall glass of chocolate milk would be oh so jealous. "He-Hello?" The computer specialist blinked. Although the voice was high-pitched, it sounded too high-pitched to be the lovable genius she was used to hearing. Also, the voice sounded a bit miffed. It was morning. Not everyone was a morning person.

"Reid…? My precious flower, are you, by chance, sick?"

"Sick…?" The voice chuckled almost… sinisterly. "You could say that." Surely, this was not Reid. The voice sounded too effeminate. "Sorry, but Spencer Reid can't talk right now. He's too busy being _punished_ for trying to _escape_." Garcia's eyes expanded as she was forced to listen to heavy breathing.

"N-N-No…! Do-Don't!" That was Reid's voice. That was definitely Reid's pain-stricken voice. That was it. That's all she heard because the call ended right after. The purple bedazzled pen she had been twirling between her fingers dropped, hitting the floor with a deafening _clank_. Garcia's mouth dropped opened, staring at her computer screen in shock.

"Re-Reid's been kidnapped again!"

0-0

"I wish you wouldn't have done that. Now I'm really late for work."

Kelly only grinned, and then kissed his ear again. She had taken quite the liking to that part of his body. "Not my fault you enjoyed it." She shrugged her shoulders before kissing his lips. "You could have said no. I mean, you just took it like a champ." Hand in hand, she led him down the hallway. "Besides, I'm taking you to work, nerd. You should be grateful to have transportation after such a wild night… and morning." Reid cleared his throat and looked towards the floor. His face warmed once again, recalling those sweet and passionate memories. Kelly had no mercy. In her words, she was 'a lady in the streets, but a freak in the sheets.' Initially, he couldn't understand the meaning behind her words, but once she explained it, he agreed that it was an accurate portrayal.

It was a bit disheartening that it was ending so soon. Should he ask to see her again? He still didn't understand what a woman like her could want with a man like him in the first place. Maybe it was best that he didn't ask for a number. He was an agent of the BAU, after all. Pursuing a relationship, that wasn't a onetime deal, was for the best. Morgan knew that. Hotch found that out the hard way. Mentally, the genius nodded his head. It was best this way. He should just count his blessings like last time with Lila, and move on.

"Hey, Spencer," Kelly's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "You're squeezing my hand a little hard, you know."

"Sorry," he apologized, loosening his grip. Then he noticed that they had stopped walking towards the front door. Kelly was staring back at him with a look of concern. "Don't ask. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I mean-"

Unfortunately, before she could finish, things got chaotic. The banging of the door being kicked off its hinges caused the two to snap their heads toward the door. Men in black entered and spread through the house, guns pointing. And who was the leader of this swarm of black? "Morgan…?" Reid found himself exclaiming. He didn't know what was going through his co-workers head at the moment, and perhaps he never did or would, but Morgan dashed towards them, shouting something intelligible. Boom—took her down. The woman released a cry upon impact. Because their hands were still linked, Reid fell down as well. Regrettably, there had been a table near him and his head hit the corner of it. Picture frames fell, glass shattered, and loud noises gave him a serious headache.

Or maybe it was the sudden loss of blood?

0-0

Reid glowered at the ground below him. It had taken more than twenty minutes to explain the situation. It shouldn't and wouldn't have taken so long if Kelly had not decided to call upon her defensive maneuvers against a federal agent. Morgan wasn't all too happy that he had to fight off a woman. Both of them had only calmed down once he shouted out his displeasure. No one had moved or spoken a word afterwards. Most likely they were shocked. He, himself, was shocked as well. Never had he raised his voice.

After the situation had calmed, Morgan explained that Garcia thought he was being held against his will. Well, that had been partially true, which caused Kelly to chortle and Reid to flush. "Listen," he had said. "This is a _private_ matter and obviously a misunderstanding, so if you would all just leave-" During this, Morgan and looked back and forth between him and Kelly. The reason Reid had stopped talking was because a knowing half smile appeared on his co-workers face.

"Alright—let's have someone take a look at that injury," Morgan suggested. "Officers, lead Agent Reid out. I have something to discuss with Ms. Holloway." Judging from Ms. Holloway's expression, she had not liked the sound of that. Truthfully, Reid didn't like the sound of that either. However, he was feeling a bit lightheaded. And so, begrudgingly, he had been led out of the house, leaving Morgan and Kelly alone. They had been in there for a little more than four minutes when Kelly's shout came forward.

"_Who's_ going to pay for my fucking door, you gung-ho jackass?"

Reid sighed heavily. He didn't blame her. Morgan always had been enthusiastic about kicking doors. A few moments later, the gung-ho jackass emerged from the house, looking surprisingly smug. Reid narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he made his way over. "My man!" His hand came down on his shoulder a few times. "Didn't know you had it in you. Wait till I tell the rest of the team—Pretty Boy's got jungle fever." He didn't feel sick, and he doubted it was a real disease anyway. Before he could question what this 'jungle fever' was, Morgan walked away, laughing to himself. That made him even more suspicious.

Shrugging to himself, Reid stood up and walked towards the house. Inside, Kelly was picking up the fallen picture frames, grumbling to herself. "_Threaten_ me…? I'd like to see him _try_!" He cleared his throat, gaining her attention. Kelly stood up, frowning. He had wanted to make an apology, but she apologized first. "I'm sorry. This is my entire fault." At his expression of confusion, she continued. "I answered your phone this morning while we were…" She trailed off, averting her eyes to the side. _Ah_… He remembered now. She had been annoyed with the ringing, so she had answered quite angrily. After a few spoken words, she had placed the phone near his mouth, never once stopping her assault. He had hastily ended the call, but apparently he couldn't avoid a misunderstanding.

"Ah—about the door…" Reid began.

"Your friend is going to fix it _personally_!" Kelly crossed her arms.

"_Oh_." A silence hung between them. It wasn't necessarily awkward, but he felt compelled to fill the silence. "Yo-You want coffee sometime?" Her eyebrows shot up. Clearly she was surprised. He made a mistake. He shouldn't have asked. She was going to laugh in his face and say it was a one night only type of relationship and that there was no way she was going to see him again. Especially after all the chaos that happened as a result. _"Stupid…!"_ He squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the blow.

"Sorry, I don't like coffee." There it was. A clear rejection. "But I wouldn't mind seeing you again." Slowly, he opened his eyes. Kelly was smiling. She turned her gaze to the floor and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Despite the wake up call, it was fun. You're fun, Spencer."

"Really? You wouldn't mind?" Reid asked just to make sure. Kelly shook her head. She returned her eyes to him. "You're not bored of my statistics?"

"They could come in handy," Kelly replied. She then grinned. "I swear it's not because of the great sex." Reid flushed again. "I like you. And if you like me, too, then we shouldn't deny that, right?"

"Right." His agreement was awarded with a soft kiss.

Okay. Maybe he should thank Morgan instead of blame him.

0-0


	2. Criminal

Um... It was supposed to be oneshot, honest. I had initially believed that writing the last one would put an end to the dreams of Spencer Reid. However, it just made it worse. Kelly, the original character, developed a backstory for some reason. I wish I could control my mind, but sadly, I couldn't, so here's another part. It will probably be one more chapter... or another two chapters, but I'm holding for the third being the last. Anyway, go ahead and Reid it if you liked the last chapter.

Mark Gordon Company owns _Criminal Minds_, but honestly, I think the company needs to share a little. I've got some great ideas in my mind, after all. :P

0-0

She was seriously contemplating murder.

Kelly Holloway rubbed her middle and index fingers against her left temple. She needed to calm down. This was the first time she had been this angry. Seriously, _murder_? This was not the time to be thinking like that. Hell, this was the reason she was here. They had thought she had killed someone. Or at least committed the crime of kidnapping. Kelly frowned. Maybe she should have her head checked. Lip twitching, she threw that thought aside. The day she would listen to _his_ advice was the day parrots lived at sea. His _advice_ was the sole reason she was in her current tight spot. Well, not really, but she had to blame _someone_. Stifling the urge to slam her head against the table—on the count that she had already done it—her brown eyes slowly met the intimidating stare of a federal officer. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. The man had worn the same expression since he stepped into this little dark room. It wasn't even a scowl. It was just… mean. Scary is what this man was. Crossing his arms, the man finally spoke. He had stated his name before, but honestly, she wasn't concerned about it.

"Tell me where Reid is."

Her eye twitched. After nearly fifteen minutes of staring her down, _that_ was the first thing he had asked? She definitely wanted to cry… or strangle something. At the moment, she couldn't really decide. Kelly sighed deeply, turning her eyes to her right hand. It was cuffed to the table's leg. Honestly, she wasn't surprised she had been arrested. Her brothers always told her that this is where she'd end up. Kelly closed her eyes for a moment, sucking in a breath. This was so annoying. _Someone_ was going to pay for this. And she knew exactly who.

It was all that gung-ho jackass's fault.

0-0

_I bet that I can make you believe in love, and sex, and magic!_

Kelly snapped her head in the direction of the familiar ring tone. Her cell phone was currently on her bed. "Spencer!" Hastily, she stood up from the hardwood floor. She would worry about the mess she made later. Grabbing her cell phone, she stared at the glowing screen. "It's only a text…" Sighing, she walked back over to the pile of books at the foot of her bed and sat down. Before she attempted to immerse herself in research again, she read over the text message. _I will be late. Sorry_, it said. Kelly sighed again. Four months into their relationship and he still thought to tell her if he would be late or not. Sweet as it was, she had told him that it wasn't necessary. She knew his career was time-consuming and accepted that fact. Grinning, she replied back. _Ok, but don't think you're getting out of watching the new version of Star Trek with me!_ It had taken a lot of convincing to get Spencer Reid to even _consider_ watching that 'atrocity,' as he liked to call it. As a die-hard fan of the original, he felt that it would be an insult to see a remake movie of the television show.

_I just don't understand why they think they can squeeze a show, that's been on for _years_, into two hours and seven minutes! That will be seven thousand, six hundred and twenty seconds that I won't get back! _

She smiled at the memory. It reminded her of when she first met the genius. He had gone on a tangent about the ineffective use of the online encyclopedia. He was the cutest when he got worked up like that. Kelly remembered it as though it was only yesterday. He, and several of his coworker friends, had come into the club. At first, she didn't notice him. It wasn't until Jessica pointed out Mr. Charismatic that she had seen Spencer, standing behind the bigger built man. He was pale, skinny, had dark circles around his eyes, and could probably be mistaken for a girl from the back because of his neck length straight, yet wavy hair. Still, something about him had her intrigued. Maybe it was his attire. The white shirt and red tie did make him stand out, along with the tan pants he wore, from his coworkers darker colors. Whatever it was, she could not keep her eyes off him.

His group had immediately gone to the bar, and her eyes had followed him. Kelly had listened to Jessica gush how cute Mr. Charismatic was for about twenty minutes. By then, there had only been the two of them. She had smirked, and then told her to go capture the guy's attention. Her best friend giggled and went to the dance floor to entice the darker man. It wasn't long before he had spotted Jessica and made his way over to her.

That is when she had made her move. Sure, it was probably wrong to think in terms like that, but she had finally gotten him alone. He seemed like a guy that would worry about a woman's wellbeing, and so she had spoken out loud, something about walking home alone. Her home was blocks away, but he hadn't known that. He had proceeded to tell—no advise—her not to walk home alone, and then had followed up with a rather scary statistic, concerning sexual assault on women. He had been so adorable, the way he shifted nervously under her stare. But it was when he pulled out that first magic trick that she decided to take him home. That night had been so _good_.

Kelly shook her head to get rid of thoughts of Spencer. Right now she needed to focus on her work. In one of these books, there was something she needed, or rather something she wanted to confirm. Her brow furrowed as her eyes scanned over the words. This was taking forever. It was one thing. She should have remembered by now. However, once she was finished with a book, she tended not to think about it. It was because of this that she found herself searching through all of her books. Her last work had gotten bad publicity because someone found similarities with her first book. Her philosophy was that if they enjoyed it, then they shouldn't complain about similarities. But not her editor—oh _no_, she had a cow when she found out. So now she was _forced_ to make _sure_ that she didn't screw up and plagiarize _herself_. Kelly scoffed. Maybe she should start highlighting things.

Her eyes narrowed, coming across a certain passage. After reading it several times, she realized she had found what she was looking for. "Got it!" She leapt from her sitting position and nearly tripped on her way over to her computer chair. Swiveling once, she folded her legs, holding the open book in her lap. Her fingers hurriedly typed while looking down at the pages. She knew it. She had been 'copying' herself again. With a few changes, not even the most observant people would see similarities. _Ha_! Stopping for a moment, Kelly closed the book. Come to think of it, this was her favorite one. Spencer had gotten a kick out of it, too. It was the only supernatural piece of fiction she had ever written, one she had started and finished at the age of eighteen. Before she could be sucked into memories of the past, Kelly heard her phone again.

_I bet that I can make you believe in love, and sex, and magic!_

She set the book on the desk, and then stood from the chair. The cell phone had been left in the middle of the scattered books at the foot of her bed. Picking it up, she realized it was another text. _I was not thinking that! I'll be there in 27.4 minutes. You should leave soon._ Kelly blinked, and then rolled her eyes, letting a chuckle slip from her lips. She could _almost_ see the pout in the message. Her arms stretched high. Well, she had better get started. Squatting down, she picked up the scattered books, balancing her phone of top of them all. Carefully she moved over to the bookshelf. Slowly, she placed the books back in order. These were her works on display. They were a bit like trophies—prized possessions. Kelly sighed and walked to her desk. She saved her document before closing the lid to her laptop. She was about to set her cell phone down, but it began to vibrate and blare out 'Trouble,' by P!nk.

A frown crossed Kelly's face. The song was the theme for her best friend, Jessica Blare. It was because the woman _was _trouble that Kelly was hesitant on answering her call. However, she would probably catch hell about it later if she didn't. With a heavy sigh, she pushed the button, allowing her personal menace to reach her. "Can I come over?" was the first thing she asked. Kelly felt the corner of her lips twitch. This was so like her. She wanted to scream out 'NO!' but she held it in.

"No, Jessica, you cannot come over," she replied.

"Why not?"

"_Because_-" Her fingers gripped the cell phone. "I'm not going to be here. I'm going over to my boyfriend's place."

"_Aww_—what? Whatever happened to chicks before dicks?" Jessica's voice whined out. Kelly rolled her eyes. Of all people, she shouldn't be using that as an argument. "I have to tell you something important!"

"What? Screwing and leaving not working for you anymore? Don't tell me you fell in love with one of your boy toys," Kelly joked. Jessica actually laughed, quite loudly. "I'll take that as a no." This was the exact reason why her friend shouldn't use the 'chicks before dicks' thing. Jessica was something equivalent to a womanizer—always looking for casual sex with the opposite gender.

"No way in _hell_ is more like it! There's still much more of me to go around." Jessica was only reconfirming her nature. "So anyway, you _still_ going with that one guy—Red?"

"His last name is Reid, and yes."

"I thought you would've dropped him by now," she mused.

"Why do you sound so interested?" Kelly narrowed her eyes. "You sound as if you can't wait to pick him up for yourself."

"_Please_! There's no way I'd even look at him twice! He didn't look like he had a strong back. He's probably a bottom to the extreme!"

"Hey, what did you call for?" she decided to change the subject. "You have to tell me something important, right?"

"Well, I can't tell you over the _phone_."

"Well, what's it about?"

"Like I said, I can't tell you over the-"

"I'm about to hang up on you."

"Okay, okay! It's about your brother. Can I do him?"

Kelly stared blankly at the far wall. Jessica continued to speak, saying how she always wanted to because he looked as though he could go all night. Resisting the urge to puke, she calmly replied. "I'm so glad you didn't say that to me in person. I would have strangled you. Now, we're going to forget this conversation took place. Don't call me for about a week. Goodbye." Kelly heard her friend about to protest, but she quickly hit the end button. She shuddered, almost violently. Her best friend and her brother—it was a disgusting thought. However, she supposed that it was none of her business either way. But she didn't want to _hear_ about it.

At last, she set her phone down on the desk. From here, it would take about twenty minutes to reach Spencer's apartment. That gave her time to change. Kelly walked over to the full body mirror. She squinted at her reflection. A woman in basketball shorts and a white tank top squinted back at her. Admittedly, her lazy clothes weren't meant for public eyes. So she would have to change, probably into some jeans and sandals. She wasn't too worried about the tank top, though.

Five minutes later, she was dressed accordingly and ready to go. With the _Star Trek_ DVD under her arm and purse over her shoulder, she locked the door to her home. She had bought the movie, thinking she would give it to Spencer. However, that idea was squashed. Luckily, she had found out about his displeasure for the movie before his birthday came up. But that meant she had to think of something else to get him when that time came. Kelly opened her car door and tossed the DVD into the passenger seat before climbing in the car herself. Humming along with the radio, she pulled out of her driveway.

As she drove, she felt her phone vibrate. However, that was ignored for the most part. It was probably Jessica again. She couldn't hear the ringtone, but she had an irritated feeling, so it must have been her, trying to make nice. She still shuddered at the thought of her brother and her best friend, though. It was best for everyone if she didn't talk to Jessica. Right now, she had to focus on the road and Spencer.

Speaking of which, his apartment loomed closer. There was a time when she almost despised being here. There were no elevators and Spencer lived on the _fifth_ floor. She had dreaded those stairs with a passion. But that wasn't the only reason she had felt dislike for his apartment. She had to park across the street because there wasn't a parking lot for the building he lived in. Honestly, she hated doing unnecessary things. But it was Spencer and she did like him, so she got used to doing it. Fortunately for her, there were no parking meters. This place was pretty far from the city so it was quieter than other places, but it was close enough for the _Starbucks_ down the street. Those coffee shops were everywhere. It was no wonder he chose this place to live.

Kelly stepped out of her car, grabbing the DVD as she did. After locking the door, she reached for her phone as she moved towards the apartment building. As she thought, there were eight missed calls. Most of them were from Jessica. However, one was from her brother, André. He was the one Jessica wanted to _do_. Scowling down at her cell phone screen, she decided not to investigate. Today, was supposed to be fun day without drama. The only thing that was supposed to give her a headache today was debating with Spencer, and generally that was fun. Seeing him like that hurt her stomach, on the count that she was trying to hold back laughter.

Smiling, Kelly entered the building and began to climb the spiraling staircase. It used to take quite awhile to reach the fifth floor. Once, for some reason, she and Spencer had run all the way up to the fifth floor. Two 20+ adults behaving like children—there were definitely some head shakes from other occupants. Though, that was an idea that both of them had regretted. Immensely. By the time they had reached his floor, both were out of breath, drenched in sweat, and still laughing. It was painful. But there was a bright side. As to not be 'wasteful,' they had taken a shower together. The memory made the novelist grin.

Before she knew it, she was standing in front of his door. After three knocks—and then three _louder_ knocks—Spencer's muffled voice told her it was open. Kelly opened the door. The reason he did not hear the first three knocks was because he was immersed in a book, as usual. He sat on his couch, legs curled up to his body. The book he was reading was propped against his thighs. His big toes moved back and forth—something he did when he was really interested—drawing attention to his, once again, mix match socks. Dark purple and bright red. Spencer was a quirky one.

Kelly closed the door and locked it. It was that sound of the lock sliding in place that caused his dark eyes to shift in her direction. He smiled, causing her to do the same. Kelly moved forward, avoiding the discarded books on the floor in front of the couch, and planted a kiss on his right cheek. "Hey," she greeted, straightening back up. Spencer obviously wasn't a normal. Instead of returning the greeting with a 'hey' of his own, he came back with a fact.

"Did you know that nine out of ten people who are struck by lightning actually survive?"

"No, actually, I didn't. But that was out of the blue," Kelly replied as she moved around the couch and headed towards his bedroom. She heard him clear his throat before raising his voice because she was further away.

"Actually, _ah_, it's supposed to storm tonight."

"Storm…?" Kelly murmured, removing her sandals and scooting them against the wall. Did she leave her window cracked? She hoped not. But then again, if she had, then it would be dry by the time she went back to her car… unless it rained all night. "Storm including the rain?" she called out.

"Hail, too!"

"Damn it… A hailstorm is just what I need." Kelly scowled as she made her way back to the living room.

"Actually, hailstorms aren't really storms at all. They are a side effect of the thunderstorm. The hail originates from thunderclouds."

"Alright, Spencer," Kelly resisted rolling her eyes. She leaned against the couch and pulled out the DVD. The genius geek, of course, glowered at the sight of it. The woman chuckled before setting it on his chest. "I'm going to pull out snacks. Set it up, okay?" She strolled over to the small kitchen.

"Can't we—can't we just talk like _normal_?" His voice followed her. "I really… I really think I shouldn't watch this."

"Hey! Who spent her _entire_ weekend, watching a marathon of _Star Trek_ with you last month? Not to mention, for a week after that, you can kept quoting Spock! Even I fell to that show; I can't believe I was doing that hand sign," she muttered the last part to herself. Kelly raised her voice again. "I think you can handle a _mere_ two hours out of the whole weekend with me!" She could hear his teeth clenching from here. "_Heh_." She opened refrigerator. Her hand reached in, grabbing the sour cream and salsa. If she remembered right, the tortilla chips were in the cabinet. Kelly closed the fridge with her foot since her hands were occupied at the moment. "Besides, _this_ Spock's cuter."

"I heard that." His disgruntled voice startled her so much that she flinched and dropped the squeezable bottle of sour cream. The glass jar of salsa was also dropped. Luckily, it hadn't shattered upon impact with the kitchen floor. Kelly sighed out. He was right behind her. _Ah_, so that's why she could hear his teeth clenching. She turned her head. That cute pout was on his face. His arms were folded under his chest as well. "Is this the real reason you want me to watch this? You want to see how I am jealous, don't you?" Damn, he was a smart one. Kelly had seen a lot of him already. There were sides of him that she didn't want to see, of course, like sadness. But she definitely wanted to see him jealous. "You're looking away. That means I'm right." _Ah_, the hardships of dating a genius profiler. She probably couldn't get away with anything, especially since he knew her exceptionally well now. Finally, she turned to face him. Kelly bit her bottom lip. "I wouldn't be surprised," Spencer told her.

"Well… since you know, are you jealous, Spencer?" she asked. "Is all my planning for naught?" Her back pressed against the refrigerator as she frowned. "Do you know how hard it is to find a genius as cute as you? And he's not even—_mmph_?" Without warning, Spencer had closed the small distance between them. She blinked rapidly, seriously surprised. For the four months they had been dating, he had never initiated a kiss. His hands slowly moved down her arms, fingers wrapping around her wrists. He pulled away only a second later. Through half covered eyes, he stared. This was… different. Kelly swallowed. Sure, her heart had increased its pace before with Spencer, but not because of a three-second kiss like that.

"I am, _uh_, jealous," he said. "So shouldn't you make it up to me?" A frown emerged on her face. She even lifted a brow. Her eyes stared in suspicion. "What?"

"You're trying hard to get out of watching it, aren't you?" Spencer had the nerve to smile.

"Is it working?"

"…"

"That's a yes, isn't it?"

He kissed her again. And then again. "Spencer," Kelly turned her head away. For some reason, she felt uncomfortable. She didn't understand why, though. He was only kissing her. Sure, he hadn't done that before, but she shouldn't be feeling _uncomfortable_ because of it. His hands left her wrist. Then she felt his thumb against her jaw. Slowly, he turned her head back, causing her to meet his eyes. He murmured her name, and once again she found his lips on hers. Kelly shut her eyes. This was undeniably different from other times. Instead of only her face and chest, her entire body felt hot. He hadn't even—_ah_, there it was. His tongue entered her mouth and touched all over before finding hers. All ten of his digits leisurely slid down her body. "_Mm_…" Her moan was forced to stay inside because her mouth to preoccupied. She felt a tugging at the front of her jeans. Then the sound of her pants unzipping caused her eyes to snap open. "Wait a minute!" She pushed him, breaking the heated kiss. This was bold—_way_ bold for Spencer Reid. "You… What's going on? What's gotten into you?" Kelly questioned.

He didn't answer. His eyes turned down, towards the floor. Her hand reached up to his cheek. Spencer touched her wrist. "I'm _uh_…" He cleared his throat. His lips twitched. "I just want to…" Trailing off, he turned his head, lips lightly touching her palm. God, her cheeks were burning. This level of intimacy from him was rare, if not strange. His other arm stretched and pulled her body forward. "Kelly." Spencer said her name and nothing more before her lips were captured yet again. Both of his hands lifted the back of her shirt, and then slipped them under. His fingers hastily attempted to unclasp her bra. She should have enjoyed this, but… Her body reacted in a much different way.

Kelly pushed him away again, shouting for him to stop. His back hit the island counter in the middle of the kitchen. Realizing what she had done, she froze, eyes wide. Slowly, her gaze fell on him. Something she hadn't wanted to see is what she saw. That frown, furrowed brow, averted eyes—Spencer Reid looked hurt… or maybe disappointed. "S-Sorry, I don't-"

"It's… I mean, I know why you did it. It's either one or the other," Spencer interrupted. He licked his lips before staring into her eyes. "Either you were… raped, or-"

"_I wish a mofo would!"_ Kelly couldn't help but think.

"-Or… you have major issues with control," he finished. "And I think it's the latter. Judging from your reaction, you unconsciously don't want to lose… _uh_… that control. This is the result of-"

"Having authority at a younger age," Kelly finished, frowning.

"And a mild form of narcissism. Not to mention, feeling as though you can't and shouldn't trust anyone."

"… Does it bother you? That those things from my childhood made me this way?"

"No, but… eventually, that might be something that negatively affects our relationship. Already, it feels like… I'll never have you completely," Spencer said. Kelly bit her lip. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. The genius sighed, dipping his chin. Once again, his eyes were on the floor. "Maybe… it's best if we-"

"No!" she blurted out. Because her voice had rose above normal, his head snapped in her direction. Questioning eyes stared back at her. She clenched her teeth and fists. "I don't know why you're suddenly analyzing me like this, but… I don't want to break up with you. Control issues or not, I like you too much!" Kelly squeezed her eyes shut. "I'll give myself to you… really."

"Are you sure…?" Spencer questioned. She nodded her head, not trusting her voice to give an affirmative answer. "Kelly, I'm not forcing you. If you don't want this, you don't have to. We all have our problems."

"Just kiss me already, you nerd!"

Her body tensed, suddenly feeling his hands on her shoulders. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and looked up. His hands slipped lower until his fingers intertwined with hers. Spencer, keeping his eyes on her, led her out of the kitchen, down the hallway, and into his bedroom. He didn't bother to close the door. Kelly's shoulders trembled as he sat her down on the edge of the bed. Why did her body react like this? Her first time hadn't been this nerve-wracking. It wasn't nerve-wracking at all! But this… This was different. She swallowed again. Spencer leaned forward and tilted his head to the side. Again, Kelly shut her eyes, awaiting his kiss. However, his lips slid down her cheek towards her chin as his hand lifted the side of her tank top.

"Kissing…!" His voice suddenly squeaked. Kelly opened her eyes, confused. "_Uh_—the mouth is full of bacteria, so when I kiss you like this, I'm giving you over one million of my bacteria." His fingers gripped her side. His palm was sweaty. Spencer cleared his throat. "Close to a billion when our tongues are involved." It suddenly occurred to her that he was every bit as nervous as she was. He had most likely thought about this a lot, but actually carrying it out was probably hard for him. Spencer Reid was a person who liked routine. Doing things differently all of a sudden… "Kelly…?"

She had wrapped her arms around his neck. The sudden embrace had surprised them both. However, she needed to be considerate to him, too. "Okay, I understand," she murmured. "I won't resist your dominance." Her arms fell away. "_This_ time." A chuckle of embarrassment came from his lips. Then Spencer smiled and nodded. Uneasily, Kelly smiled back. Her cheeks were cupped by his hands. Her eyes flickered close as the genius eased in to kiss her again. His lips rubbed against hers in a slow rhythmic way. Again, he pulled back slightly, this time to remove her shirt. The white tank top was tossed behind him. "_Mm_…!" Kelly squeezed her eyes shut. Spencer's teeth had grazed her skin as his lips moved down her neck and across her left shoulder. His finger tugged at her bra strap before sliding it off her shoulder, leaving it bare. The other side was done the same way.

His hands moved towards her spine. His fingers lightly tapped against her skin as they went up and down. Then one of his hands slipped under the clasp to her bra. She had thought he was about to remove it, yet he only traced small circles under the clothing. Kelly shivered. She hated this—the not knowing part. What Spencer was doing to her, it was pleasant yet challenging to deal with. She wanted nothing more than to throw this guy on the bed and take advantage, making him struggle underneath her for putting her through this. But no, right now, she was being subjected to his will. "Kelly…" His voice caused her to open her eyes. He pressed her back against the bed, and then trailed his hands down to her sides. Swiftly, her pants were removed, leaving the woman in only her underwear. Those were tossed as well.

Finally, he began to remove his own clothing. The dark blue sweater vest, the black tie, the white shirt, the khaki pants—one by one, they fell to the floor. Then the socks followed soon after. Like her, Spencer was left in only his underwear—plaid boxers. Spencer lied beside her, hand on her abdomen. Kelly turned her head. As they stared into each other's eyes, his hand glided across her skin, which left behind goose bumps. Then he turned her body on its side. His fingers still tickled her skin, resulting in more goose bumps. _"Spencer, what are you planning?"_ Kelly thought.

The genius blinked, and then shifted his gaze down. She looked down as well. It looked as though his eyes were on her hip. His finger pulled at the band of her panties, which showed her tattoo. "I wanted to ask," he said as his thumb traced the inked skin. "I mean, you don't seem like a person who would get one." Kelly sighed softly, and then chuckled a bit.

"I'm not," she confessed. "But it was college. I had taken several jello shots and my roommate dared me to get a tattoo that night. I woke up the next morning to find it on my hip _of all places_. _Haah_… Mother was not pleased about that one. That was my last alcoholic thing until I got out of college."

"I like it," Spencer announced. Before Kelly could retort, his body moved so suddenly. She gasped, feeling his tongue and lips against the inked skin. Her hand gripped his shoulder, yet he did not stop the hot movements of his tongue. Her breathing hitched several times when his teeth gently nipped at her skin. Kelly choked out his name, unable to form any other word. Her body—it felt as though it might melt. As he gratifyingly tortured her, his hands stroked her thighs. He suddenly stopped, coming upon the rougher part of her back leg. His finger slid up and down the scar before his mouth released her. "Where did you get this?" he asked.

Kelly couldn't believe it. Why did he have to use such a nonchalant voice after doing something so… _good_? "When I was… really young… me and my brother were wrestling… near the top of the stairs," she answered, almost breathlessly. "We… We both fell, but I was the one to… get hurt because of the nail sticking out of the wall." Kelly swallowed hard. Now keep _going_, she wanted to demand of him. However, she kept that bit to herself. She didn't know whether it was embarrassment or pride, and she opted not to think about it right now. Mentally, she shook her head. Then, she sat up. "You don't… like it, do you—that, or any other of my scars?" Spencer sat up as well.

"I like it," he repeated. "All of your scars."

"They're flaws," Kelly stated, biting her lower lip. "Accidents and mistakes."

"All great works of art have flaws," Spencer said, taking her hand in his. Her cheeks felt tingling and warm again. He guided her hand across his leg, coming to a stop just above his knee. Kelly looked down. Her eyes expanded. She had never seen this before. It appeared to be a- "You're not the only one with scars. I was shot before..."

"You got shot…?" She bit her lower lip again. Why, at this moment, did it occur to her that she had never _really_ looked at his body? "Wow, you're actually BAMF." Then she chuckled because Spencer gave one of those confused looking pouts. "Badass Mutha Fucker," she supplied. "Dane Cook." His eyes adverted, and then he shook his head. Kelly chuckled again. The genius smiled, and then leaned forward. His nose bumped hers. Her chuckles subsided, yet the smile remained on her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and positioned herself on top of him, also wrapping her legs around his torso. "Spencer," she murmured. "Come live in my heart, and pay no rent."

"Samuel Lover," he cited as he encircled her waist with his arms. A chaste kiss was given. "_Hm_…" He looked up for a moment before licking his lips. "I like not only to be loved, but also to be told I am loved."

"George Eliot," Kelly replied. Spencer's eyebrows rose. "Hey, it might look like I don't listen to you, but I do. Besides, the guy was an author, which means competition."

"Kelly." He pulled her closer, resting his face where her neck and shoulder met. He breathed in deeply through his nose, and exhaled through his mouth. His warm breath relaxed her even more. "I…" He cleared his throat. "I like you too much, too." After a moment, the novelist pulled back, arms bent between their bodies, hands on his shoulders. She narrowed her eyes a bit.

"Are you telling me that you had _no_ intention of breaking up with me?" Spencer had the nerve to give a sheepish smile. "Then why did you _do_ all this?"

"I may or may not have… mention a bit of our relationship to Morgan." Her jaw dropped as soon as the new information was done processing. Squeaky noises exited her mouth. "No, no, no! I didn't mention sex! I took the dynamics of our sex life and placed it into our relationship, so he-"

"-Thinks I beat you."

"Probably," Spencer admitted.

"Why? Why did you go to the gung-ho jackass?"

"Kelly," he scolded. She merely scowled. He sighed. "I don't know, I… I'm still new to this… A relationship with a woman in this sense—I really have no clue! You were doing everything, and I thought maybe… since he's more experienced that he could give me some advice."

"I bet he said something like take control, dominate, women love that, and _blah, blah, blah_!" Kelly scoffed.

"When I realized that you had trouble with transferring power, I didn't want to go through with it," Spencer said. Kelly frowned. "Why do you hate Morgan? You've only met him _twice_."

"And that's _all it took_!"

"… Are you angry with me for taking advice from him?"

"…" Kelly rolled her eyes. "Why do you have some many different pouts?" He grinned triumphantly. "Fine, no, I'm not angry." For a moment her eyes closed, and then she smirked. "But you're going to _have_ to make it up to me."

"What? How?"

"_Hm_—I don't know!" She shrugged and rolled her eyes. "How about making me scream your name?"

"Ke-Kelly!" His cheeks rapidly changed from pink to red.

"Don't give me that innocent crap. You were doing _such_ a good job earlier. Now… show me some of that great magic, babe."

0-0

Derek Morgan was a patient man. Mostly. He could handle many things. A crisis, serial killers, pedophiles, several women flirting with him at the same time—he could pretty much handle them all. Well, maybe not pedophiles. His patience usually ran thin when it came to the sick twisted minds of pedophiles. Especially the male pedophiles. Sons of bitches. Anyway, other than those types of people, Morgan could have the patience of a saint. However, there was one person who managed to annoy him, without fail. Spencer Reid. Don't get him wrong; he loved the kid, as he loved each member of the team. He would do anything and everything to protect him. That did not change the fact that Reid… No, Reid didn't annoy him. It was the _situations_ that Reid put himself in that annoyed him. Usually, the situations involved cases—_dangerous_ cases.

This situation, very rare, very abnormal, wasn't necessarily dangerous. However, his patience was beginning to run out. Reid was supposed to call him _hours_ ago. He had busied himself with tedious things to do about the house since he woke up. It was already pass noon. He should have called by now. Morgan sighed, sitting down on his couch. He leaned back and crossed his arms. His eyes stared at his cell phone, which hadn't moved from the coffee table since last night. He shook his head and narrowed his stare.

He didn't understand why he felt anxious. He just did. Actually, Reid never agreed on calling him with the results of his advice in the first place. Admittedly, he had done most of the listening, merely nodded his head to show that he _was_ listening. Irritating. This whole situation was irritating. Morgan sighed out and closed his eyes. He supposed that he did _know_ why he was anxious. Reid had come to him yesterday, just as he was leaving for the weekend to talk about Kelly Holloway, his girlfriend. The man smirked and chuckled. He still couldn't believe his nerdy coworker managed to keep a girlfriend for four months after a failed one night stand, no less. And with a sistah, too? Pretty Boy did have game, after all. But… The relationship between them was a bit… bothersome. Something was not right about it.

According to Reid, the woman did show signs of a dominant nature. However, to him, it sounded as if she was too dominant. This Holloway woman sounded controlling and seemed to enjoy making Reid squirm. A bit of teasing didn't hurt, but in this case, it seemed to be taken to the extreme. A sadist…? For a moment, he had thought that she _beat_ his coworker. But that couldn't be the case. Reid _would_ have said something. Besides, he did like her. That much was obvious. Still, he was anxious.

Morgan had told Reid to shake things up a bit. Flip their relationship upside down and show his girlfriend that he could be a man. If whatever he decided to do turned out well, then he wouldn't have to come looking for advice again. Probably. It was Reid. And this was his first _official_ relationship with a woman. Still, he had a weird feeling that things hadn't resulted in the genius' favor. "What the hell?" Morgan leaned forward, grabbing his cell phone. One call wouldn't hurt. Drinks—he could invite Reid out for drinks and get the results then. Searching through his contacts, he quickly found his coworker's information. Usually, it wouldn't be a one-on-one type of deal with his coworkers. Well, except with Penelope. It was either most of the team or just Penelope. But he could convince the genius that he didn't have a hidden motive for meeting him.

Finally, after four rings, the phone was picked up. "Hello…?" an unfamiliar voice answered. No, it wasn't completely unfamiliar. He had heard it before. Furrowing his brow, he tried to remember. "Hello?" It was a woman's voice. _Ah_, this must be her—Kelly Holloway. Why was she picking up Reid's phone? "Who is this?"

"Is Reid there?" Morgan asked. There was a pause on the other end. He could faintly make out her breathing. "Hello…?"

"This is that gung-ho jackass, isn't?"

"…" His eyebrow twitched. "I thought we had agreed on not calling me that, Holloway." The headstrong woman had forced him to return to her home to fix the door he had kicked in. It was a misunderstanding, but in her mind there was no misunderstanding of who was fixing the lock. It had been hot that day, and she had offered no refreshments. She had sent him off hot and sweaty, and not in the good way. A cruel woman is what she was.

"No," she corrected. "You talked. I fucking ignored you."

It was obvious that she held a grudge.

"Listen, can I just speak to Reid please?"

"You know it's your fault," she continued as if she didn't hear what he had asked. "If you haven't given him that advice, then I wouldn't have had to…" The woman sighed heavily. That did not sound good. "That guy probably thought I hated him at that moment."

"What? What are you talking about?" Panic began to fill him up. This was what he was talking about. Kelly Holloway was no normal woman! Did she _snap_? "Where is Reid? Did you hurt him?"

"Hurt him…?" She scoffed. "How can I hurt him if he's not _here_ anymore?" Morgan's jaw dropped. "Anyway, I've got to clean this mess up. It's beginning to stink." The woman hung up the phone, not waiting for a reply. His eyes grew wide. This couldn't be happening. Had she…?

"Re-Reid…!"

The cell phone dropped from his hand.

0-0

"Garcia, what can you tell me about the suspect?"

The team had been gathered on a Saturday afternoon. Apparently, one of their own had gone missing. Morgan was quick to assume the worst, and so he called everyone up to investigate. Reid was gone. There was no way to contact him. This weighed heavily on the hearts of his coworkers. They did not want this to be another Tobias incident. That thought alone made each team member cringe. Garcia cleared her throat before following Hotch's orders.

"Kelly Holloway, age 26, African-American, works part-time at three jobs, _and_ she is a published author, under the penname Kane. She lives by herself," she began. "_Uh_… She grew up in a household with her mother and two brothers. Both are older than she. The four of them are very close because her phone records suggest they talk all the time on days where she's not working at one of her part-time jobs."

"Does she have a record?" Morgan asked.

"She has been involved in several altercations when she was in high school, but she was only _mentioned_ in reports, not the actual altercations with police. That abruptly stops once she graduates, but she does have _outstanding _speeding tickets." Her fingers striking the keys could be heard throughout the conference room. "College-wise, she graduated from Roanoke College with Masters in Philosophy and Sociology, and Associates in Psychology. She minored in Creative Writing, Dramaturgy, Theatrical Performance, and East Asian Studies."

"Sounds like a hard worker," Rossi commented. "Yet she's _only_ an author?"

"Sounds like a _lazy_ hard worker," Prentiss remarked.

"Is that all, Garcia?" Hotch questioned.

"For now," she replied. "I'll keep you posted."

Her face disappeared from the computer screen. Morgan sighed out. "Reid doesn't talk about his personal life much, but from what he told me last night, she is aggressive. I've met her twice, and she's territorial. With her, things have to be in order—the way _she_ likes it."

"Growing up with two older brothers and a single mother, that's not really surprising," Prentiss said. "What I'm interested in is these reports. She was mentioned, but not charged with anything?" Her dark eyes scanned over the open file. "It was only the people she was with."

"She's a manipulator," Rossi said. "She stays in the shadows, watching her plans from a safe distance. In these reports, she is the only common factor. Every other person was different from report to report."

"I agree," Hotch nodded his head. "If that is the case, she's smart, narcissist, deceptive—probably physically capable of handling herself as well."

"I'm assuming that everything she does is planned. With her, there are no accidents. Everything she does is intentional all to gain some type of benefit," Prentiss muttered. "She seems like a woman who doesn't get involved in too many relationships—intimate, anyway. She's too careful. She probably thinks that a partner would be unnecessary to her life."

"Are you saying Reid is an experiment?" Hotch asked. Prentiss shook her head and shrugged.

"If this was her first relationship, I would think so," she replied. "But who's to say? The question is: Is she capable of extreme violence? Speeding tickets, an aggressive nature, and territorial—this all leads to violence, but there's no record of her ever being charged or convicted of anything. If she did do something to Reid, he must have done something to make her snap."

"Tried to take control…" Morgan shook his head. "I told him to take control."

"_Hm_… I think we're dealing with an alpha female," Hotch said after a moment of silence. "Caring, yet only to those who are in her 'pack.' Anyone outside the pack, she can and will manipulate without remorse. She holds little to no respect for men outside her pack. She won't call them by name or title until she views him as a rival, close friend, or brother. If Reid did, in fact, take control with this alpha female… he could very well be… in trouble."

"Hotch, let me question her," Morgan said. "I'll get the information."

"No, you won't. Morgan, you are also an alpha. Putting you two in the same room is a disaster waiting to happen," Rossi stated. "I suggest sending in Emily."

"That would be a good plan. Prentiss would be a good match up," Hotch said. "However, she would only refer to her with title and name. She will not trust her; therefore, she will not give any information." The man stood up. "I will question her. David will come as backup."

"_Uh_… aren't you alpha male, too?" Prentiss asked. However, before Hotch could retort, Garcia came back into the conversation.

"Guys…?" Garcia's voice squeaked. Her face had appeared on the computer again. "I think you should know something."

"What is it, Baby Girl? Good news?"

"I don't think so," Garcia answered. "I went back to her years in high school, looking at yearbooks, calling people in her class, and apparently, she dated the quarterback when she was a sophomore. He was a senior."

"The quarterback…? Quarterbacks are usually dominant in nature," Prentiss said. "Maybe _this_ guy was her experiment?"

"That's not the weird part!" Garcia said. "Not only is his name _Spencer_, but after they broke up, he disappeared."

"Disappeared…?" Rossi repeated.

"Completely! That's what her classmates told me. I researched further myself, and there is no record of him _anywhere_. He didn't even graduate. He's just… not _here_ anymore."

A shiver went through Morgan's body.

0-0

Kelly banged her head against the table. It hurt and she groaned in pain, yet did not lift her head. This was ridiculous. Why was she even here? All she had heard was her Miranda Rights. However, she did not hear why she had been arrested because she was so freaked out about the door being kicked in. She sighed and closed her eyes. Maybe if she thought back, she could figure out why she was here.

Okay. She had woken up. It had been a little after noon. Her boyfriend was not in the bed with her. In fact, he had not been anywhere in the apartment. As odd as that was, she was disoriented. Waking up just wasn't her thing, and it took time to fully shake the drowsiness off. Instead of looking for a note, she had gone straight to her cell phone. After she put on some clothes, of course. But for the life of her, she couldn't find _any_ of her clothes. She had been forced to venture into Spencer's wardrobe. The guy didn't own any large T-shirts. So she had to settle with a black, long-sleeved buttoned shirt and his boxers. Then she had tried calling him. However, it appeared that he hadn't taken his cell phone with him. She had heard her personal ringtone quite clearly—'Addicted' by Saving Abel. Spencer had not found it nearly as amusing as she did, but he didn't know how to change it back, so he was stuck with it. Well, at least she would never call him while he was on the job, right?

Anyway, she had found his cell phone and stopped the ringing. However, she didn't have time to ponder why Spencer left his cell phone because the thing had started ringing again. This time, it was his normal tone. She remembered staring at it for awhile before answering. It was his coworker, the gung-ho jackass. After a pretty pointless conversation with him, she had hung up and placed Spencer's cell where she found it. Surely, he would call again if it was about work.

But he had not called back, and so Kelly began to clean up in the kitchen. The items she had dropped were stinking. The sour cream had gone bad, and the salsa—although the glass had not shattered—had come open and was all over the floor. Afterwards, she sat on the couch, waiting for the genius to return home. She had picked up one of his books and turned on his CD player. Classical music had almost put her to sleep—she believed Spencer had called this composer Handel—yet she had managed to stay awake and read.

That's when things went to shit. She had been humming, reading—generally minding her own business. Then the door had been kicked in. Kelly couldn't really remember what had taken place, but in the end, she was here, in this small room. Frowning, her eyes darted around. It seemed to be some sort of interrogation room. Oh God… Why _now_? Did she even do anything wrong… criminally wrong? Well, apparently she had. The bastards had found her. But where were they? She had been in this small room for over ten minutes already.

She wished something would happen already.

As if the wish was granted, Kelly heard the door open and close. There were multiple footsteps. She didn't bother to lift her head. She sighed loudly as the two introduced themselves. Because of that, she hadn't heard their names. When she finally did lift her head, she was met with an intimidating stare. For now, she was going to call him Double S—for Seriously Serious. He sat down across from her. The other man's face was neutral for the most part. He appeared older than Double S, so she was going to call him Gran-Dude. At least until she clearly heard their names.

However, the two didn't speak. For the next fifteen minutes. In that time period, she and Double S had a stare down competition. Gran-Dude remained impassive to the whole thing. Finally, Double S crossed his arms and finally spoke. "Tell me where Reid is," he demanded. Kelly's eye twitched, and then her gaze shifted to her handcuffed wrist. She clicked her tongue.

"_Uh_… Tell me why I'm here," she rejoined.

"You _know_ why you're here," Double S said as if it were a fact. "I believe your rights were read to you."

"Sure, but it's kinda hard to hear clearly when you're being slammed against the floor by a gung-ho jackass," Kelly muttered. She moved her restrained arm a bit. Her skin was beginning to itch where the metal had been constantly rubbing. The two men exchanged a look. The woman sighed and rolled her eyes. "Just a fair warning, I might sue you guys for arresting me for no reason."

"There is a reason," Grand-Dude said, crossing his arms. "You are under suspicion for harming a federal agent."

"That was a long time ago! You're arresting me for that? He's the one that came into _my_ home and-"

"We are not referring to that incident, Ms. Holloway," Double S interrupted. "We want to know what happened to Spencer Reid. What did you do with him?"

"D-Do…? You think I did something to him? Why would I do that? He's my boyfriend!"

"That fact doesn't matter," Grand-Dude said. "In murder cases, it's usually the spouse or significant other that is responsible for the crime."

"Yeah, I know—he… Wait! Murder? He's dead?"

"That's what we would like to know, Ms. Holloway," Double S stated. "_Where_ is he?"

It was at this moment that her chest began to hurt. The thought of something happening to Spencer greatly annoyed her. Or was this stress? Kelly closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply. Once the pain in her chest subsided, she opened her eyes. "I don't know where he is, but I'm pretty sure he's fine."

"Agent Morgan believes that that isn't the case," Grand-Dude stated. "He believes that you did something to Agent Reid after he took matters into his own hands. You couldn't let him control you, right?"

"_What_?" An indignant huff came from her mouth. "Well, I'm sorry that the gung-ho jackass didn't profile me right, Grand-Dude."

"No, I think the profile is quite accurate," Double S replied. "This isn't your first encounter with the law, is it?" Kelly narrowed her eyes. "But you don't have a record. Why is that?" She didn't respond. "That's fine. You don't need to answer. I know the reason." Double S leaned forward. "It's because you're a manipulator. You tell others what to do in order to gain something. But you never get your hands dirty. You're used to being in control, and to lose that control makes you uncomfortable, defensive, and perhaps even angry. Did you get angry enough against your high school boyfriend?" Kelly's eyes widened and the flinch didn't go unnoticed. "You did, didn't you? Where is _he_?" The woman frowned and turned her head.

"How the hell would I know that? It's been ten years since I've seen his face," she gritted out.

"Does Reid know about him?" Grand-Dude asked.

"No, and there's no need for him to," Kelly stated. "Why are you asking me about some guy I used to date?"

"Because he's missing, and has been for ten years. Would you know anything about that?" Double S questioned.

"No," Kelly said, rolling her eyes. "And I would greatly appreciate it if you wouldn't go digging into my past."

"You're borderline psychopathic."

"Borderline…? _Really, _Double S? That's what you're going with?"

"Yes, because you _are _capable of caring, but _only_ to close friends and family. Everyone else-" He shrugged his shoulders. "-you can care less… Just like your ex-boyfriend. You didn't care about him, did you?" Grand-Dude supplied. Kelly leaned back, propping her elbow against the back of the chair. She smirked.

"Well, it looks like you've got me figured out, _huh_?" she chuckled lightly. "However, that doesn't prove anything. Yes, I tend to be aggressive, but I grew up with two brothers. Yeah, I like being in control—who doesn't? Sure, I used to manipulate others, there's no denying that. But it was something I did when I was younger. I'm adult now and I know to manipulate only when I need to. As for my ex… we just broke up. That's it. Bringing him up is pointless." For a moment, she shifted her gaze to her shackled wrist. "This is my personality, but I shouldn't get arrested for it. My boyfriend is _fine_."

"Then why did you tell Agent Morgan that Agent Reid was gone and that you had to clean up the mess because it was beginning to stink?" Grand-Dude asked.

"Hey, if you profiled me right then you would know I wouldn't tell that to a federal agent if the case was murder," Kelly replied. "Obviously, I wasn't talking about _remains_. I was talking about the sour cream that had gone bad and the salsa on the floor." Again, the two men exchanged a look. Double S sighed, and then pulled two plastic bags from his jacket. He set them on the table. They were cell phones, belong to her and Spencer. "Why?"

"Reid would not leave his cell phone at home," Double S stated. Kelly nodded her head in agreement.

"However, he's usually disoriented and stumbles about after…" she trailed off.

"After _what_?" Grand-Dude asked.

"Do you really not realize that the _only_ thing I'm wearing is one of his shirts and his boxers? What do _you_ _think_?" Kelly nearly hissed. Grand-Dude cleared his throat and looked away. Double S didn't have the decency. "I woke up. He was gone. I don't know where he is." Her hand slammed against the table top. "But if Spencer's hurt somewhere, I'll make sure all of you pay because you could have been out there, searching for him instead of interrogating me like I killed him!" Double S furrowed his brow, yet said nothing.

Suddenly, her phone began to ring. Instinctively, she reached for the plastic bag, but Double S managed to get it first. He pulled the phone out of the bag and answered it, putting it on speaker phone. He didn't take his intimidating stare off her. "Who is this?" he questioned. For a moment, there was no answer. Then the incredulous sound of her boyfriend reached her ears.

"_Hotch_…? Why are you answering Kelly's phone?"

"Reid?" Apparently, Double S had a real name and it was Hotch. "Where are you?"

"I… _ah_… I'm at a phone booth near the subway. I've been stuck on the train for hours thanks to the thunderstorm," Reid explained. "You know it's very rare for a thunderstorm to affect an underground railroad." A pause. "So why are you answering Kelly's phone?"

"Yeah, go ahead, _answer _him, Seriously Serious!" Kelly gave the man a pointed look.

"Kelly…? Wha-What's going on?" Spencer asked, sounding very much confused. Double S breathed out through his nose and closed his eyes.

"I think there's been a mistake," he said.

0-0

"Derek, Derek, Derek…" Prentiss shook her head in disappointment. Morgan sighed heavily. His coworker had already smacked the back of his head. What more did she want from him? It was an honest mistake! Anyone could have made it. The dark-haired woman crossed her arms. "You deserved everything Hotch told you." After Hotch—and Rossi—chewed him out on wasting their weekend time, he and Prentiss were left there to watch over Kelly Holloway. They had taken the handcuffs off, yet she refused to leave the interrogation room. So here they were on the other side of the glass, watching the woman braid strands of her hair. She had gotten bored, playing the games on her cell phone a few minutes ago. "Confusing a regular alpha female with a psychotic alpha female—_tsk, tsk, tsk, _I'm disappointed."

"Hey, what she said was not okay. It didn't sound right to my ears," Morgan said. "Besides, it's Reid. Yeah, I overreacted, but when it comes to you guys, I don't want to doubt my instincts."

"Well, this time your instinct landed with you doing all the reports for the next month! Yes!" Clearly, Prentiss was way too excited about his punishment. "Oh, he's finally here." As she said, Reid entered the interrogation room. Holloway stood up, greeting him with a smile. "Now we get to watch them interact."

"Do they know we're in here?" Morgan asked.

"Nope, both of them think we went home already," Prentiss grinned.

"I'm so sorry, Kelly," Reid hugged the woman. She returned the embraced, only to pull back a few seconds later.

"Where did you go?" she questioned.

"I went to the store to buy your favorite snack, so we can watch that atrocious movie you wanted to see," he answered. Holloway frowned, taking her arms away from his shoulders. "What? I still don't want to watch it, but… I thought it was the least I could do since I put you through that. It took longer because the train stopped." She crossed her arms and turned her head away. It was a sign that she was far from forgiving. Reid pressed his lips together. "Kelly…"

"Nope, I'm not falling for-" He kissed her before she could finish. This left both of his coworkers in shock. They had never pegged him for an initiator.

"_My_ man! That's what I'm talking! Get it, Reid!" Morgan chuckled. Prentiss lightly hit his arm.

"You shouldn't encourage Derek Morgan behavior," she playfully scolded. Her eyebrow rose. "He is totally grabbing her ass right now, isn't he?"

"Both hands, too." Morgan shook his head and chuckled again. "I almost don't believe it. He was right all along."

"_Hm_…?"

"Reid once told me that girls can sense when men are changing. He said some type of girls—the right type of girls will find you," Morgan explained. "I guess that's what happened."

"Sounds wise," Prentiss remarked.

"He heard it from his mom, though, so-"

"_Mmm_!"

Redness spread across Prentiss' face. "Maybe we should stop watching this?" she suggested. "His hands are all over her… and vice-versa." Both eyebrows were raised as she tilted her head to the side. Morgan scoffed.

"And miss the blackmailing opportunity? No way in hell!"

0-0

Kelly softly pushed Spencer back. "As much as you enjoy kissing my skin… I'd really like to leave this place and change out of your clothes," she said. His eyebrows knitted together.

"Why are you wearing _only_ my clothes, anyway?" he questioned. Of course, he had figured out she wasn't wearing underwear quite quickly. His roaming hands were good at what they did. Apparently, he had learned quite a lot through reading.

"I couldn't find mine," she answered. Kelly hopped off the table, having somehow got on top of it during the passionate kiss. This guy really was a magician. "Let's get out of here, shall we? Oh, here's your cell phone." Spencer nodded his head and laced his fingers with hers and taking his phone back with his other hand. He led her out of the interrogation room, heading towards the exit. It was still raining. Hopefully, Spencer had an umbrella. Kelly frowned. Her dark brown eyes settled on their connected hands. She had been so relieved when she heard his voice. Just the thought of him being hurt… or dying—it felt as though her chest was trying to split open. It was not a good feeling to have. Something almost equally upsetting was brought up doing the interrogation as well.

_Did you get angry enough against your high school boyfriend? _

She only had one boyfriend in high school. Feelings of guilt coursed through her as she an image of her ex appeared in her mind. Her one and only ex boyfriend… Although it was ten years ago, the memory of his smile bothered her. Especially since he was brought to her attention. He had truly disappeared, huh? Inaudibly, Kelly sighed. She really shouldn't care. That was a time in her life where others didn't matter to her. She didn't care about anyone else in her past, but he was an exception. She wondered why.

"Something wrong…? You're squeezing my hand," Spencer broke through her thoughts.

"No, it's nothing… Well, I was worried about you," she replied.

"_Ah_, I see… You know, despite what happened, my team means well. They care," he said.

"I know. Especially that gung-ho jackass. He's like an older sibling to you, or something."

"Kelly, you _can_ call him by name."

"If the day comes where he stops kicking in doors and tackling people, then I would gladly call him something different."

"I don't think that day will ever happen," Spencer sighed out. Suddenly, he stopped. He turned around, eyebrows furrowing. "Wait, is my door kicked in?" Kelly chuckled, stepped forward. Her hand reached up. She lightly tapped his cheek.

"Now you know how it feels," she grinned. "Now where's my snack?"

0-0


	3. Stressor part 1

Jane Howard once said "Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."

0~0

Reid was uncomfortable. That was an understatement. He was also stressed, jumpy, and prone to irritation because of the smallest things. For example, Emily coming by to swipe a pencil from his desk, squeaky noises coming from those who liked to rock back and forth in their chairs, and the constant ringing of phones made him want to snap. Usually, he could handle these things. Usually, he didn't _have_ to handle these things. Sure, he would pick up on the smallest details, but they were deemed insignificant. Now, they irked him. The minor headache wasn't helping either. His knee bobbed up and down at a quick pace as his fingers drummed against his computer desk.

The rest of the team had noticed his behavior. Of course they would. Profilers, he worked with. It must have been obvious. All of them, including Garcia, had come to him, trying to figure out why he was 'snappish.' In his defense, he did try to avoid the topic of his behavior, but as the days went on, it escalated to the point where even Morgan stopped his usual teasing remarks. Reid rubbed his forehead with all eight of his fingers while his thumbs massaged his cheeks. He leaned back, squeezing his eyes shut.

It was almost time. It would be another half an hour before he would have to leave the comforts of his desk and travel into the unknown. Reid sighed and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was Friday and the workday was ending. He almost wished JJ would call the team to the conference room with an urgent case, which would take them to the other side of the United States. Almost. If he had to choose, he would rather not see that disappointed look again. For a moment, his eyes closed. Reid pinched the bridge of his nose. One month later and he still regretted it. It wasn't like she had brought it up again either. Still…

A hand suddenly clamping down on his shoulder caused him to jump. Exasperated, Reid turned to the person. Emily Prentiss reared back with wide eyes. "Calm down, Boy Wonder, I was only going to ask if you wanted to grab a bite to eat," she muttered, holding her hands up in mock defense. "Morgan, Garcia… Even JJ's going this time." The frustrated young profiler swiveled back around. He gathered up a few folders, and then made a grab for his bag. "Reid…?"

"Sorry," he murmured, distracted. "I have plans already." The bag was placed in his lap and the folders were slipped in. He couldn't believe he had lost track of thirty minutes. Reid paused. Then again, this week had gone by quite quickly, hadn't it?

"_Oh_…? With the _girlfriend_?" Emily's eyebrows literally wiggled. Odd, he didn't think it was possible to move the eyebrows independently of each other in rapid succession. He had seen it in a couple of animated films, though. Reid tried to keep the grimace from his expression as he nodded. Judging from the smirk on his coworker's face, she hadn't noticed. She was too busy leaning against his desk, clearly wanting to know more.

"_Uh_… I'm… _We're_ meeting her… _um_… family tonight," Reid explained. Her eyebrows shot up, disappearing behind her bangs.

"So _that's_ why you've been on edge lately!" Emily was quick to come to the correct conclusion. That's when Derek Morgan sauntered over, wanting to know about the topic of the conversation. Reid sighed heavily. Here it comes… "Reid's got a _very_ serious meeting with his girlfriend's family tonight!"

"_Ooh_! That's some serious stuff!" Garcia popped up beside Morgan. He would never understand how she did that.

"No wonder you got that boy band haircut!" Morgan commented with a chuckle, not the least bit surprised or perturbed that Garcia had come from literally nowhere. Emily didn't seem to notice the tech's sudden appearance either. Reid reached up and touched his shorter hair. Honestly, he didn't get the haircut because of the family meeting. Truly, he had been mistaken as a girl one too many times in the men's bathroom. Kelly had gotten quite the kick out of it when he had told her. He opted not to tell the team about it. Who knew how long they—especially Morgan—would keep teasing him about it? Weeks or months would be his guess because there would be a constant reminder. That was something he did not need, not when he was so anxious. "I can't believe you're still with that girl. What's it been—a year?" His subtle frown caused Reid to frown as well.

"Actually, it's been eleven months, three weeks and two days," he corrected. All three of his coworkers rolled their eyes. "And just because you two don't like each other doesn't mean I'm going to stop seeing her." Morgan opened his mouth to protest, but Garcia's dramatic gasp interrupted him.

"Someone doesn't like Chocolate Thunder?" Her palm hit her chest as if the very thought was-"Blasphemy!"

"It's those _darn_ first impressions, right, Morgan?" Emily smirked.

"_That_ was a misunderstanding-"

"_Both_ times?"

Morgan unenthusiastically glared at Emily while she only chuckled. "Look—it's not my fault the woman can hold a grudge, okay?" he grumbled. His dark eyes turned to Reid. "Anyway, you need to be careful." At his confused expression, he continued. "With the way she is, there's no telling where she comes from her. Her family might be…" He trailed off, but the implication was clear. His serious look transformed into grin.

"You know, this isn't really helping me," Reid said. "In fact, it feels like my nerves have been stretched and torn."

"Oh, it won't be that bad, sweetie," Garcia tried to reassure him. "I could do a quick background check if it makes you feel better!" Now, it could have just been the lenses of her black-rimmed glasses, but Reid could have sworn her eyes gleamed a bit. "What type of dirty secrets do you want to know?" She seemed eager.

"That…" He was a bit hesitant. Having information beforehand would be great. "Won't be necessary," he finally said. However, Reid was sure that Kelly would not appreciate having her family profiled. Behind her back, at least. His girlfriend was devious. Speaking of devious, he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. His eyes widened as he fumbled to pull his phone out before the ringtone started. Unfortunately, he was too late.

_I'm so addicted to all the things you do when you're going down on me in between the shee-_

Finally, his finger pushed the call button, silencing his phone. Reid didn't have to look at his team. He already knew what their reactions would be. Shock, and then amusement. Already, he could hear the snickers. The ringtone wasn't really a problem seeing as how Kelly did not call him when she knew he was at work. His team had distracted him and he did not leave the building yet. Wishing he knew a bit more about how to work technology, Reid put the phone to his ear. He stood up, bag strapped over his shoulder and walked away from his desk and his chortling team. "Hey, Spencer…" Despite the discomfort of having prying eyes on him, hearing her warm voice put a smile on his face.

"Kelly," he returned. The genius cleared his throat, and then lowered his voice. "When are you going to change this ringtone back to normal?" he whispered. His eyes looked back to the group by his desk. Morgan winked at him. Reid almost rolled his eyes as he returned his focus back to the person on the other side. It took a moment for Kelly to respond.

"It's almost been a year. _Now_ you're saying something?" She sounded incredulous. Before he could explain the situation she had put him in, she gasped. "Don't tell me… Your team… They didn't…?"

"Yes, actually, they did."

"Oh, I am _so_ sorry!" Kelly didn't sound very apologetic due to the fact that she was laughing. His girlfriend was most likely _waiting_ for this moment to happen. Her only regret would be that she wasn't here to see his mortified face and the expressions of his coworkers. "I'll change it as soon as possible." She was still laughing. Finally, her laughter faded into chuckles. "Okay, I'm outside. Come out when you're ready."

"_Mm_." Reid nodded his head. "Give me a few minutes."

"Alright, take your time. I'll be waiting. See you in a bit."

"See you in a bit," he repeated. She hung up, prompting him to the do the same. Reid sighed heavily. A simple conversation with Kelly had calmed him down somewhat, but there was still some anxiety left. He hoped she wouldn't notice. There was no need for her to become upset because of his nerves. Family was a very important component in Kelly's life—an extension of herself. If she knew that her boyfriend was _slightly_ afraid to meet them, she wouldn't be happy about it. _"It's only for a couple hours," _Reid thought. _"I can do this."_

"I like her already!" Garcia appeared. This time, he only twitched. "Glad the girl's gotta sense of humor. I can't wait to meet her in person."

"Wh-What? In person? No!" Reid hurriedly tried to get to the exit. However, the computer specialist grabbed a hold of his arm. "Garcia…!"

"What's the matter, Reid? Do we embarrass you?" Emily teased with a grin.

"Yes, actually, you do—especially Morgan."

"Hey!" said person protested while the others laughed at his expense. "We're not that bad, kid."

"But there's a chance we might be late meeting her fam-"

"Now's the _perfect_ chance!" Garcia was ignoring him. "You're meeting her family. She can meet yours, too!" The woman nearly dragged him towards the exit. He could hear other footsteps—belonging to the other members of the team—in tow. Reid slumped in defeat. There was no use arguing with Garcia, and with the others backing her up, it was impossible. This was going to be more incommodious than it should be.

0-0

As he thought, this was turning more troublesome as the seconds passed. Heading to the elevator, the group had nearly collided with Hotch and JJ. Immediately, Garcia explained that they were all going to meet and greet Kelly Holloway… personally, this time. As usual, Hotch's facial expression didn't change. However, JJ looked absolutely delighted with meeting his girlfriend. At the moment, she, Garcia, and Prentiss were animatedly holding a conversation as if he wasn't in the elevator with them. Even Morgan had put forth his remarks to their chat. Several squeals came from that corner of the elevator. Hotch had remained indifferent to the whole situation. Sometimes Reid wished that he had that level of emotional control. Why did he have to be born a blinker?

The elevator dinged, signaling that they had reached their destination. It was a quick walk to the entrance, mostly because the women of the group were rushing and pulling him along. Upon reaching outside, Hotch stated that he was going and told them—them meaning Morgan, to which he looked insulted—not to cause trouble. After saying goodbye, the rest of the team tried to scope the entire parking lot, looking for Kelly. Reid almost rolled his eyes as he walked down the steps. He had spotted her car. However, she was not in or around it. The young profiler took out his cell phone and quickly dialed her number.

_I bet that I can make you believe in love, and sex, and magic!_

His personal ringtone sounded close. Reid turned his head to right. To his right, there was a tree, large enough to provide shade despite losing its leaves. Of course that's where she was. She didn't like wasting gas and it was a bit hot for a day in September, so she would not be in her car. As he thought, Kelly came from behind the trunk. She smiled, silencing the ringtone. "Spencer…!" She walked towards him, placing her cell phone in her back pocket. She lifted her black sunglasses before completely removing them and attaching them to the front of her shirt. It was her favorite. A long-sleeved, form fitting, black and purple shirt, which showcased her chest, yet covered her cleavage. Equipped with low-rise jeans and black Chuck Taylors, she seemed the opposite of how he had been feeling. As a greeting, she kissed his cheek. It was a bit odd. She had done this action many times, and yet her welcoming lips still caused a warm tingling feeling to come about within him. Reid mirrored her smile, and then shut his eyes and leaned forward to kiss her as well. He felt her grin. "Did you miss me?" Her nose rubbed against his. Two weeks had gone by since he had seen her face. The last case had been long and exhausting. Well, there was of photo of her in his wallet, but that only went so far. Reid nodded his head and kissed her again. Kissing her took some of his nervousness away.

Then the obnoxious sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted. It was probably Morgan because the rest of them were giggling. Reid pulled away from Kelly. Both turned their eyes to the entrance. Most of them were smirking. "Hey, Pretty Boy, don't forget about _us_." Morgan gave him a rather mischievous look. For a moment, he _had_ forgotten about them. Kelly clicked her tongue. Without fail, she would do that whenever Morgan had something to do with the situation. Reid cleared his throat.

"_Um_… This, as you may have gathered already, is Kelly Holloway, my girlfriend," he introduced. Garcia was the first to come down to their level, and then the others gathered around. One by one, they introduced themselves. Kelly nodded politely at all of them except Morgan. The handshake that was exchanged between them was a bit rougher than the others' handshakes. Reid supposed that the two would never truly get along. "So now that we have introductions out of the way, I guess we'll be going!" He tried to guide Kelly away, but Garcia was having none of that.

"Oh no you don't!" Her authoritative voice caused him to halt. "We all want to apologize to her about what happened the last time she was here!" Kelly turned back towards the group. Her shoulders shrugged.

"It's in the past. No big deal," she said.

"My _ass_," Morgan scoffed, which caused Kelly to glare in his direction.

"Anyway, it's kinda hard to not be forgiving when I know you were only worried," she continued. Her arms folded under her chest. She gave the team a grin. "Besides, Spencer speaks highly of all of you… even the gung-ho jackass." Emily snorted, trying to hold back a laugh. Morgan turned narrowed eyes at her. She immediately became straight-faced, but the mirth was still there. "Still, with that experience, I'm sure most of you know a lot about me already. But I hope that we can _properly_ get to know each other at a different time. Since we have plans at the moment." With her last statement, that uncomfortable feeling came back. Reid noticed that Kelly glanced at him, but she quickly focused back on the team without question. "Have a nice day." She waved, and then took his hand, leading him away. Her pace was quick, causing him to stumble to keep up with her.

"Can you imagine what their offspring would look like? So _cute_!" He heard Garcia gush.

"I wouldn't mind if Henry had a few playmates," JJ remarked. Once again, his nerves were completely shot. Offspring…? Why were they even thinking about that in the _first place_? There was no way that would be possible if this meeting didn't go well. In fact, he might possibly lose the ability to produce offspring in the first place. As highly unlikely as it seemed, the thought still made him cringe. The fact that Kelly told him her brothers knew karate put these certain thoughts into his head. If he kept this up, he would probably experience a nervous breakdown.

Kelly released his hand, telling him that the door was unlocked. Absentmindedly, Reid nodded and slowly walked to the passenger side of the car. She entered just as he opened the door. He placed his bag in the backseat before getting in himself. Her set of keys was pulled from her pocket. However, she only put them in the ignition. She did not turn the car on. The young profiler furrowed his brow and turned his head to look at her. Her eyes were elsewhere, though. Her hands rested on the wheel. "Spencer," she finally said. Her head turned as well.

"Yeah…?"

She didn't answer. Her body turned slightly towards him as she reached a hand up. Pushing back his bangs, she raised an eyebrow. Reid could only blinked in confusion. Then his confusion faded. How could he forget? When he had showed up to her house with the new haircut, she was at a loss for words. That entire night, he had felt her eyes on him. They had exchanged only small talk. Finally, she had spoken. Her eyes had turned to him. He had been on her bed, reading, at the time while she had been writing on her laptop. With a serious expression she had said 'Spencer, this haircut is… _Haah_… I'm going to have to get used to how sexy you look now so I won't randomly attack you in public.' At his startled expression, she had only laughed. Then she had climbed into bed with him. She had spent the entire night running her fingers through his hair. Reid had fallen asleep with his head in her lap. Gradually, she had overcome her urge to 'attack' him in public. However, there were times that she still liked to play with his hair like now.

But Kelly took her hand away too soon. She didn't even reach his hairline. The puzzlement had come back. She then reached down toward her purse. The novelist fumbled through the small bag until she finally pulled out a single Hershey Kiss wrapped in gold foil. She handed him the small candy while placing her purse where it was. Now, Reid was even more confused. Kelly just didn't willingly part with her favorite snack. As this was her favorite snack—dark chocolate—it came as quite the shock to have her place it in his hand. "I'm sure you already know this, but dark chocolate reduces stress hormones like cortisol and other fight-flight hormones. It's not really my favorite snack. My therapist said I should start eating it so I would stop hurting other people." His head snapped in her direction again.

"What was that?" he asked. Kelly only grinned. Reid rolled his eyes. Of course she was only joking. His girlfriend didn't have a therapist, and she certainly would not have one either. One, she felt it was unnecessary to pay a stranger to listen to her problems when friends were free. Two, on some level she still believed that therapist equaled the rapist, so she stayed clear of them. Actually, there was some logic in that. Therapist usually poked and prodded one's mind when it's clearly unwanted.

"You're obviously stressed, so go ahead and eat it," Kelly said. Reid opened his mouth. "Don't deny it. When I mentioned we had plans, you made a noise. It was small, but I heard it." That would explain why she looked his way then. "Also, that spot on your forehead where you usually get acne is kinda bad right now." And that would explain why she felt his forehead. "It's okay to be worried, Spencer, but you shouldn't stress over it… to the point where you get headaches."

"I know…"

"Eat the dark chocolate," she advised. "You'll feel better." Reid stared down at the candy for a moment. He then fixed his gaze on Kelly. She tilted her head to the side. "Wha-" He quickly kissed her lips. Seven months ago, she would have recoiled. However, she readily accepted his sudden kisses now. He repeatedly kissed her, randomly switching from light to deep. Eventually, her hand rested against his cheek and she reared back, stopping the enjoyable onslaught. "May I ask _why_?" She smiled, clearly not upset.

"You _said_ to eat the dark chocolate," he answered with a nonchalant shrug. Kelly averted her eyes for a moment, chuckling.

"My, my, Spencer Reid… Your tactics at seducing me are going to make me melt," she remarked. Her finger lightly rubbed against his cheek before she captured his lips. She pulled away a few seconds later, leaving him to want more. "But I don't consider myself dark chocolate—milk chocolate definitely."

"You're better than any chocolate."

As expected, Kelly's eyes expanded a bit before her sight focused to another place. She may have liked to tease him with her comments, but there were times when she would be the one to become embarrassed because of his—honest—observations. His girlfriend cleared her throat and turned properly in her car seat. "Okay… I know what you're doing, but it's not going to work, you manipulative little genius!" Reid smiled, watching her start up the car. He definitely felt more relaxed now. She scoffed. "Vegas people, I swear…" she muttered, strapping herself in with the seatbelt. There had been a time where Kelly didn't wear her seatbelt. Every time they were in her car together, after he noticed, Reid would tell her statistics on fatal crashes. Eventually, it got to her. Now, he didn't have to say a word about it. He chuckled as put his seatbelt on. The car slowly eased out of the parking space.

Reid unwrapped the foil. "You know, chocolate's melting point is just below the human body's temperature," he stated. He licked his lips before popping the candy in his mouth. "That's the reason it melts in your mouth. Melting chocolate in the mouth raises brain activity and heart rate more intensely than passionate kissing. _And_ lasts four times longer. That's why many believe chocolate is an aphrodisiac." He saw her eyebrows rise, and then she grinned without looking at him. She snickered.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"… _Did I just give her an idea…?"_ Reid thought. He found himself flushing. Whenever Kelly got that look in her eye, things became a bit… different… But before he could go down those memories, he suddenly remembered something. "Oh hey, did you finish those comics I lent you?" he asked.

"I think I have to read through five more. I finished most of them on the flight," Kelly answered. "Do you want them back?"

"_Ah_, no, I just wanted to know your opinion."

"Honestly, I don't know _how_ you read these things! The art is so bad that it takes away from the stories. I find myself struggling to get to the next page! And for something called a comic, it barely has any humor involved."

"What?" Reid had to keep himself from shouting. "That series is one of the best in my collection! And comic doesn't mean funny!"

"Well, you need to get a new collection then, don't you? I'll give you something that will _really_ blow your mind!"

They began to argue about graphic novels. She actually said _Garfield_ was _better_. There was a lot of fast-paced talking and wild hand gestures coming from the both of them—to which Reid had to tell Kelly to keep her hands on the wheel. However, it wasn't malicious. She had not stopped smiling. She wasn't faking either or just smug. Genuine smiles are produced by the unconscious part of the brain. Since different portions of the brain generate both real and fake smiles, the muscles groups that create them also vary. In a real smile, the muscle groups move involuntarily. Mouth muscles contract, along with jaw and cheek movements which crease up the eyes, also known as crows feet. The creases were clearly visible. He understood why she had done this. She wanted to get him to a place where he was comfortable. And when he was comfortable, she was legitimately happy. More than likely, she would apologize later on. _"This woman…" _he realized. His beating heart sounded as if it had moved near his eardrum. _"She's amazing…"_ Riling him up just to calm him down—she was brilliant… in a twisted sort of way.

"You've stopped talking. Finally realize that I'm right?" Kelly's voice asked with a hint of haughtiness. Reid chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"No, but I've realized that it is pointless to argue with a woman who _thinks_ she can argue with a genius."

"Finally caught on, did you?" The genius shook his head. "Oh yeah, by the way-" The car stopped and shut off. Reid blinked, and looked around. They were currently parked in a driveway. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared out of his window. There was a two story house, sky blue in color, equipped with white shutters and one garage door. Judging from the structure, there were, at least, four bedrooms. This place was practically a mansion! Kelly grew up _here_? "Spencer!" Reid turned his eyes back to his girlfriend. "Did you hear me?"

"Sorry, I was distracted by your large house," he admitted.

"_Heh_." She took her keys from the ignition. "It was a nasty divorce. Dad shouldn't have hidden that younger woman from his attorney."

"_Um_… How old were you when your parents divorced?" Reid asked.

"I don't know," Kelly answered with a shrug. "Seven, I think." That would explain her complicated feelings for the male species. "Me and my brothers told her to sell the house and get something smaller since we don't live with her anymore, but she says she won't move out of the house her cheating ex-husband graciously gave to her. Really, I think she gets a kick out of the fact that she has a constant reminder that she won nearly everything he was worth in the settlement..." Reid's lips parted. Just what type of woman was Tina Holloway? Based on Kelly's words about her now, he could assume she was a passive-aggressive type. Reid mentally shook his head. What was he doing? He shouldn't be profiling the woman. She wasn't a criminal. "Anyway, what I was saying before—it was a warning."

"Wa-Warning?"

"I'm not talking anything dangerous, Spencer," Kelly rolled her eyes. "There's a simple unspoken rule that you must eat _everything_ that's put on your plate."

"Is your mom a terrible cook or something?"

"Nope, just something to think about," she said, and then pushed the button for her seatbelt to come loose. She then made a grab for her purse again. "Other than that, you've got nothing to worry about." Her door opened, and then she moved to get out.

"What about your brothers?" Reid unstrapped himself and quickly got out of the car.

"Oh… yeah," she murmured. "_Them_." She appeared pensive, but then she smiled… and walked away.

"Ke-Kelly…?"

Reid hastily followed the giggling novelist as she made her way to the white door. There were two steps made of stone. Kelly only went up one before she knocked on the door. There as a doorbell, but she had ignored it. As they waited for a response, the young profiler cleared his throat several times. The door began to open, which caused his body to freeze. His hand was grabbed and he was yanked to Kelly's side just a woman appeared in the doorway with a smile on her face. She appeared to be in her late forties, dressed in an ivory sheer matte halter dress with hanky hem. The high waistline, directly below her bust, was adorned with beaded jewels and so was the straps connected around her neck. She didn't wear any shoes. Kelly didn't like to wear shoes either if she could help it. The two women really did share a vague resemblance. Both were of average height for women, both were—as Kelly said—milk chocolate in skin tone, and both were… beautiful. Their smiles were alike as well. However, where his girlfriend's hair was long and straight, her mother's hair was short and curly—a bit wild. Reid inaudibly released the breath he had been holding while the two women embraced one another.

"_Here it goes,"_ he thought, swallowing hard.

They pulled away from each other. Reid tensed up. Kelly turned and gestured to him. "Well, this is him, Spencer Reid," she introduced. He tried to smile—really, he did. However, with the furrowed brow from the older woman, he knew he had messed that up.

"He looks constipated. Does he get enough water? He's so _skinny_, too!" Tina exclaimed, raising a brow. Reid lowered his eyes to the ground, feeling his cheeks grow hot.

"_Mo-ther…_!" Kelly almost screeched.

"What? It's true, isn't it? Such an awkward smile," the older woman continued. She turned, beckoning the two to come in. Kelly sighed heavily. "And take your shoes off," Tina called from inside the house.

"Spencer… Don't mind her," his girlfriend advised. He lifted his head up. "She's just at a point in her life where she… doesn't give a fu—_um_… a crap about people anymore."

"Do I really look constipated when I smile?"

"What? No!"

"… Really?"

"… Well…"

"I do, don't I?"

"Only when you're not used to the person."

"I _do_?"

"No—I'm _kidding_!" Kelly placed her hands on his shoulders. "Look, Spencer, you're amazing and my family is going to love you… eventually. You'll be fine."

"You are _so_ encouraging," Reid muttered. She smiled in response, and then lightly touched his lips with hers. As bad as she was at encouraging him about impressing her family, Kelly did have a knack for soothing his discomfort. "Okay… I'm fine."

"Yeah…?"

"Yeah," he assured. "Let's go." Her smile widened, and then she led him inside. As he thought, the house was very large. The downstairs alone was wide and spacious. Reid shut the door behind him. Kelly removed her shoes before strolling into the house, leaving him behind. The young profiler slowly released a sigh. He then took off his own shoes. Staring down at his mix-matched socks, he couldn't help but think he should have worn matching socks on this day. Brightly colored orange and green socks—great choice, Reid. Ironically, they were socks that Kelly had gotten for him. With another sigh, he moved further into the house. To his right, there was the dining area. To the left, there was a bedroom. The door was opened. "Kelly…?" he called. He passed by two doors, opposite of each other before he stepped into a larger room.

There she was, sitting on a grey comfortable couch with three large cushions. There was also a coffee table, two comfy chairs, matching the couch in color, and a flat screen on the wall. The remotes were on the table. This was the family room, obviously. His girlfriend's eyes were closed and her arms were crossed. One leg was over the other. "My brothers aren't here yet, so you can rest easy for awhile," Kelly stated. She breathed out through her noise. "_I_ can rest easy for awhile. Mom's in the kitchen, finishing." Her eyes opened and she gestured to a large opening, leading to the kitchen. Reid shoved his hands into his pockets. "Still feeling nervous?"

"I think we both know the answer to that," he answered. Chuckling, Kelly stood up and took a hold of his arm. "What?"

"Come on, I want to show you something," she stated. He was pulled towards the stairwell in the corner of the room. Up the stairs they moved, stopping at the top and turning left. Kelly opened a door, which led to a bedroom. "This used to be my room."

"Really…?" This was a surprise. The room was void of anything personal. No stuffed animals, posters, or anything showing that someone lived in here except for the bed, desk, and full-body mirror. The walls were muted in color. So was the carpet. It was clean, too. It was just a desk and a bed with shades of blue as a cover set. This was not the Kelly he knew. Could this really be where she grew up? "You moved in here when you were seven and moved away when you were twenty, right?"

"Yeah, I took everything," she answered. "Yikes, this place looks like a luxury prison cell, don't it?" The novelist sat down on the bed, and then lied back. "Oh, hey… The stars are still there." Her eyes were focused on the ceiling. Knitting his brow, Reid looked up as well. He squinted, noticing the lime green stars stuck to the white ceiling. Well, at least, he knew why the room seemed barren. The genius lied down beside Kelly. "I guess I forgot about those even though they glow in the dark—_haha_."

"Kelly," Reid turned his head towards her. She merely made a noise to indicate that she was listening. "What were you like in high school?" Her head snapped in his direction. She had one eyebrow raised, clearly wanting to know why he had suddenly asked her that. "_Ah_, I just had a thought… What would it have been like if we had met earlier?" She blinked once.

"I would have ignored you," she said simply. Reid almost laughed. Kelly wasn't one to fantasy unless it had something to with her books. Then again, he wasn't one to fantasy about useless things either. "I was a different person then. I only cared about my family at that point. I wouldn't have approached you, and I imagine you wouldn't have approached me either. I had an unapproachable face, after all. No one else mattered to me."

"There was no one?"

"No one," she emphasized. "Besides, didn't you graduate when you were twelve or thirteen? I'm pretty sure I wasn't even in high school." Her dark brown eyes turned back to the ceiling.

"What… What made you that way? You speak of high school like its insignificant, yet at the same time there is something that makes me believe that that's not true." Kelly abruptly sat up, causing Reid to do the same.

"You wouldn't be… trying to profile me, would you, Dr. Reid?" she asked. Before he could attempt to explain, he saw her crack a smile. He had to learn not to take her too seriously. His girlfriend thrived on humor. Every single one of her novels had humor involved not matter how serious or angst the whole story was. "It started in middle school." Her eyes stared down at the floor. "It was there that I realized that children are too cruel… and so are adults. To be bullied and having the teachers simply ignore it in order for the school to look good—it made me understand how the world works at a young age." Kelly leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. I began to see other people as things to use, and in high school, I utilized my lack of remorse and manipulative skills to my advantage. To get what I wanted, I used my classmates like pawns. I was absolutely heartless, and no one had a clue." She suddenly sighed. "If I hadn't reunited with my best friend in college, who knows what I'd be doing now? The thought scares even me, which is why I'm glad I didn't meet you earlier on."

"Your best friend…?"

"Yeah, the one that got married recently, Jessica. I still can't believe that type of woman settled down," Kelly explained. "She and I went to the same middle school. We were the smartest in our class, academic-wise. Jessica was a bit of a dumbass when it didn't come to school stuff, though. But when she left, I was left alone. The rest of them believed me to be vulnerable, and so… they ganged up on me and the teachers turned the other cheek. After that day, I didn't cry again because of sadness. Either they were crocodile tears or tears of-"

"Laughter," Reid guessed. His girlfriend grinned widely. "You were bullied, and so you made yourself stronger mentally and physically."

"That's correct, my profiler genius," Kelly confirmed. "If something like that ever happened to me again, I wouldn't have forgiven myself. I was basically the definition of a sociopath."

"Yeah, you were… and your best friend broke you out of that cycle? That's extremely rare. Normally, sociopaths remain sociopaths for their entire lives," Reid said.

"I said _basically_, Spencer. As sociopaths are incapable of loving, and I loved—just not people outside my family—I wasn't really a full blown sociopath." Her back straightened, and then she leaned on Reid's shoulder. "If I was, then I wouldn't have begun caring for others… like you." Did she trust him this much? This type of past—most would consider it shameful and would want to hide it.

"Does anyone else know about this?" Reid questioned. She shook her head. So no one else knew…? Not even her family? The young profiler found himself smiling. Really, he shouldn't feel this way about something like this, but it felt good that Kelly had told him a secret of this magnitude. He swallowed, and then turned his head. "Kelly," he murmured. She tilted her head upward. "Can I kiss you right now?"

"Since when do you ask?" she smirked.

"Well, this is your mom's house. I…"

"Oh, such a respectable man," Kelly commented, placing her left hand on his right cheek. "In that case, no you can't." His brow furrowed. "I wouldn't want to taint that image. You innocence would be _flawed_!"

"That's funny. I could have sworn my _innocence_ was flawed the night I _met_ you."

For a few moments, Kelly didn't reply. Then she sucked in a breath and took her hand away. "Hush you…!" Her arms crossed again and she turned her face away. "_Technically_, it was morning." Reid pressed his lips to her cheek. Her body relaxed. Then suddenly, he found his back against the bed with Kelly on top of him. "God, you make it hard to control myself."

"Your lack of control is not my fault. Actually, a person with a lack of control usually-" She put a stop to his explanation by kissing his eye. "_Ow_! You actually touched my pupil!"

"What? I'm not into that pedophile stuff. If you have a student-" Reid interrupted his girlfriend's sarcastic remark with a mocking laugh. "_Heheheh_…" She grinned, and then lowered her torso. Her lips hovered over his. "On some level, you enjoy this, right?"

"I enjoy _you_."

"You smooth talker." Reid couldn't wait anymore. He wanted to kiss her so badly, and she knew that. Lightly, his lips touched hers, and then he pulled back before going in for another, longer kiss. Kelly moaned his name from her otherwise occupied mouth. His hands slid down her back, coming to a stop at the hem of her shirt. She gasped and reared back, feeling his fingertips brush against her lower back. It had been quite awhile since he had discovered her most sensitive area. Smirking, his hands went further up her back. Shuddering, Kelly lowered her torso again. She really didn't like when he did that so suddenly. "You…" she panted out. "You know… I can't stand… when you do that… so quickly!"

"But that… sound you make… I like hearing it," Reid replied with a shrug.

"Don't you try to pout your way outta this!" She half-heartedly glared, and then smirked. The novelist nuzzled his cheek. Then she turned her head slightly and went for his ear. A cross between a gasp and groan erupted from his lips. "How's that? Should I keep going?" she asked. Her lips gently pinched his earlobe.

"_Ah_…!" He had tried to hold that in. "Ke-Kelly!" He bit his own lip again as her tongue glided over his skin. "Two m-m-minutes…!" Reid panted out, grasping her hips. His girlfriend nodded her head before resuming her pleasing torture. Both knew the time before the blood completely rushed down. In two minutes, it would become painful to bear. But they couldn't do that here, right? Kelly wasn't honestly going to- "_AH_! _Mmm_!" She had slowly pulled away from him, straddling his midsection. Reid cracked his eyes open to see her smiling face.

"Okay, I understand. The sound is quite delightful," Kelly agreed. He sighed out, rubbing his forehead with both hands. "Oh, did I give you a headache?" The young profiler closed his eyes, not answering her. "_Omo_! Are you ignoring me?" She gasped in an overly dramatic way. "This is domestic abuse, isn't it? You're abusing me domestically right now, aren't you?"

"Domestic abu-" Reid sat up, holding her in place with his arms. "I don't think that's the right term." Kelly scoffed and turned her head away again. He was starting to think she did it on purpose just so she could have a kiss. After a quick peck to her cheek, she smiled and returned her eyes to him. "Are you a bit masochistic then?"

"_Pfft_…! Yeah right. Everyone knows you're _mine_."

"Really?" It was his turn to scoff. "Is that right?" Kelly nodded her head, showing her teeth in a grin. "I seem to recall-" He kissed her. "-that you-" He kissed her again. "-can't resist me-" Another one was given. "-when I kiss you."

"I never-" She didn't finish her sentence since she was too busy wrapping her arms around his neck and returning the kisses with a deep one of her own. She really couldn't help herself, could she? Then again, he couldn't help himself either. Kissing her like this—no, any kisses that were exchanged made him feel great. Better. He was happy.

"_Aww_…! Sookie, sookie _now_!" The kiss abruptly ended. Kelly craned her neck towards the door, while Reid shifted his torso to the side. His eyes widened, mortified. He had _forgotten_ where he was! Apparently, there was a downside to the kisses as well. Standing in the doorway was a tall man—5'8'' most likely. He was darker than Kelly and her mother with a short beard around his mouth. His hair looked to be freshly shaved, yet he wasn't bald. For a skinny man, he sure did like to wear baggy clothes. He wore a large red sweatshirt hoodie. As the hood was unzipped, the large silver chain was visible along with the white beater. His jeans were a size too big and looked to be handing off his bottom… He had come across this look many times, and most, if not all, were gang affiliated. Kelly didn't mention that… The man, looking to be older—in his thirties—grinned and slid off his white-rimmed sunglasses. "I see lil sister's trying to put it on 'em!" he exclaimed. Reid quickly snatched his hands from under Kelly's shirt. This was really embarrassing.

"Kev, did you just get in?" His girlfriend, however, didn't seem the least bit concerned about their current positions. Kev—it was probably just a nickname for Kevin—leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. Kevin Holloway was the middle child of the family, being the second oldest. "Is André downstairs?" Kelly still had not removed herself from his lap. Should he just remain still like this?

"_Nah_, I just showed up myself. You know how he do—always so damn late," Kevin said. "If it was possible, that fool would show up late to his own funeral." His dark eyes shifted to Reid. Of course, he froze. "This yo new boy toy?"

"Don't be stupid," Kelly muttered. Finally, she stood up. Reid quickly stood up as well. "This is Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Doctor…? Kells, you're a gold-digger fo sho!" Kevin chuckled.

"Shut up, moron!" She actually jumped at him, and he literally fell down with a squeal of fright. Kelly snickered as he stood, pointing a—non-menacing—finger and giving her threat's that he would never carry out. "And stop talking like that."

"What? I always talk like this, home girl!" He did a lot of weird and exaggerated movements as he made his way over. Kevin reared his hand back. "What up, cuz?" Okay. Okay. Kelly told him about this. He was initiating a handshake that was more than a handshake. Fortunately, his girlfriend was kind enough to show him ahead so he knew how to handle this. Expectedly, the handshake was complex—at one point, they bumped shoulders and spun around—but it was over quickly. "_Whaaaat_? Kelly got herself a Blood brutha! Where yo red at, cuz?"

"_Um_—what?" Reid turned to Kelly, who looked mildly exasperated and a bit amused, too.

"Don't listen to this T.V. dinner thug. He doesn't know what he's talking about," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Say that to my face, Kells! Come on! You think you _bad_ now because you got a boyfriend with a gun?" Kevin taunted. Once again, Kelly jumped at him and he flinched. "Man, that shit ain't funny!" he shouted as Kelly led him around the older man and out of the room. "Wait till—I'ma tell mama!"

"_Ooh_, I'm scared," she sarcastically muttered. The two reached the ground floor. "Don't worry about him. For some reason, he gets a kick out of intimidating white people. You should hear his British accent. He'll stop soon." Reid's eyebrows furrowed. "Thank God he wasn't wearing a grill."

"A grill…?"

"_Heh_—I'll explain it later."

"What about your older brother? You didn't tell me _anything_ about him," Reid stated. Kelly suddenly stopped and released his hand. He suddenly had a feeling of dread.

"Oh _snap_! She didn't tell you, cuz?" Kevin walked by the couple, laughing. The feeling increased ten-fold. Kelly sharply raised a hand, causing her brother to move a little bit faster, calling for his mother. Once he was gone, she lowered her arm. Reid cleared his throat.

"So sho-should I have a warning about… _um_… André?" he asked.

"… Maybe I should have said something…" She turned to him. "But I thought maybe you would be less willing to visit my family if you knew about him."

"What do I need to know?"

"…" Her eyes dropped to the floor. "_Um_, he was in the military. He had some military training." Well, that didn't seem bad. "And he's fiercely overprotective of me." Reid's lips parted. "If he had been the one to catch us upstairs, it would have been extremely bad." Kelly hesitantly met his gaze.

"How bad… exactly?"

"Bad as in your life would be on the line bad."

"… Oh. That's bad."

"Yeah, so you should probably not kiss me or hug me tonight. Don't even attempt to hold my hand."

"Well, that doesn't sound good."

"It's not… You know what? You probably shouldn't even look at me when he's in the same room."

_BOOM_—the sound of the front door slamming open caused both Reid and Kelly to flinch.

"Where's the mofo _at_ who put his _hands_ on my _sister_?"

The uncomfortable feeling came back with no restrictions.

0~0

This is only part one. Hopefully, I'll update with part two soon. Thanks for reading! And I hope you review, critique, or comment.


	4. Stressor part 2

The level of his discomfort only skyrocketed when André Holloway walked into the room. Were his eyes playing tricks on him, or did this man seem _completely_ menacing? He was nothing like his younger brother. Compared to Kevin, André was built bigger. Even though he wore a suit, it did not hide his muscular physique. He was also lighter than his younger brother. Similarly, they both had the same hair cut and facial hair, except André's made a complete circle around his mouth. Also, it was lighter. Well, he supposed it wasn't a complete _circle_. Oval, maybe. He raised an eyebrow, putting Reid under obvious scrutiny. The young profiler went rigid. Tonight was not the night to be getting distracted by his own thoughts.

"You-" Even his voice was intimidating! It was deep—deeper than Morgan's voice. Just one word from this man could make someone bow down. However, that would most likely be inappropriate at this moment. "-Must be Spencer Reid." André stepped closer, causing the genius to realize how much taller Kelly's oldest brother was. He held out his hand. "I'm sure you already know, but my name's André. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Reid extended his hand as well. "I've heard some things about you."

"_Ah_… Yes, likewise," he said, shaking the older man's hand. Unlike Kevin's peculiar handshake, this one was normal. "I'm afraid I can't say I know about you." He chuckled nervously. André merely smirked.

"Then this is going to be fun."

Honestly, that sentence did not make him feel any better. Reid's hand was released and André turned towards his sister. Kelly smiled and went to hug her brother. Reid felt his eyes expand at the sight of André lifting her up, which caused her to squeal in glee. It was probably silly reaction to have, but his chest felt a bit tight. Jealousy, he presumed. Kelly had yet to show him that type of expression. Utter admiration. Reid frowned as his girlfriend was placed back on her feet.

"Finally got away from that wife of yours?" Kelly asked.

"I wish you would stop implying that she's a horrible person," André scowled. The novelist placed a hand on her chest as if offended by his words.

"I wouldn't _do_ such a thing!" she exclaimed. Her older brother merely rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Spencer is-"

"_Ey_, yo!" Kevin interrupted as he walked into the room. All three turned his way. "Kells, momma wants yo help in da kitchen. I got kicked out."

"Not surprising," André chuckled. "Seeing as how you can't do anything right when it comes to the kitchen. The only thing you know how to do is make people laugh. Luckily, that's your job, right?" Kevin raised his middle finger. "And why are you talking like that?"

"This is how I _always_ talk!" The younger brother was clearly getting frustrated. "_Home_ boy!" Kelly sighed and rolled her eyes as her oldest brother did, and then headed towards where her mother was.

"I'm going to help mom." She gave a backwards wave. "Be nice."

"We will!" Both André and Kevin grinned at their sister's departing form. Once she was completely out of sight, the two brothers turned their attention to Reid. The grins were gone. The young genius swallowed hard. "So…" André began speaking. "How did you and my sister meet?" By placing emphasis on the possessive word, he was clearly giving signs that, yes, he was overprotective, and no, the chances of winning him over were slim. At the discouraging thought, Reid's shoulders slumped. "Kelly didn't tell us that tidbit of information."

The first time he encountered Kelly Holloway, huh? He probably shouldn't mention that the woman had set a trap and lured him to her house to do… _things_ to him. Yes. He should probably leave that out entirely. Reid cleared his throat before attempting to respond. "_Uh_… She approached me in a… in a bar," he answered.

"She approached _you_?" Kevin clarified, but he sounded skeptical as though he couldn't believe it. "No offense, cuz, but you ain't her type." Reid realized he was going to regret asking, but he couldn't help it. He hesitantly asked what Kelly's type was. "Not you, that's fo sho!" Kevin stated with a laugh. That hurt. Really, it did. Seemingly not noticing Reid's shift in mood, Kevin went on. "Kelly's type is most definitely someone who works out. Big ol' muscled men!"

"The complete opposite of you," André continued. "It's really unbelievable that she would approach you and not the other way around. Then again… you don't seem the type to be bold."

"Yeah," Kevin agreed, nodding. "You one of those safe cats, ain't cha?" Reid had the feeling that no matter what he said in response, it would go over well with either brother. For now, it was best to remain silent unless he wasn't asked a rhetorical question. That had been a rhetorical question, right? Apparently, it was because the youngest brother continued speaking. "It's a wonder you lasted this long, cuz. How long's it been anyway?"

"Eleven months, three weeks, and two days, including this day," Reid answered. The brothers stared at him for a moment, lips parted. Then they exchanged an incredulous look.

"Yeah, it's definitely surprising you've lasted this long… nerd," André commented. The profiler was at a bit of a loss. It sounded like an insult, but at the same time it didn't sound like one. Perhaps, the oldest brother meant in a factual way? There were worse words than nerd, after all. One thing was for sure, though. Unlike when Kelly used to call him that, it did not hold the same warmth.

_Sorry about that, nerd. I just… really like dark chocolate._

Recalling the events that led up to those words filled his mind. It had happened during the second month of their dating. At that point, they had still been at the stage of becoming comfortable around each other. In two months, they had barely had five dates because of their respective work schedules. Because of that, they hadn't known very much information about one another. But with this incident, they had become closer. Reid would never forget it.

He had made the mistake of reaching into a small glass bowl, which had been full of _Hershey's Kisses_. The bowl had been out in the open, on the coffee table, in the living room. Surely its location had meant it was for guests. That had not been the case. Kelly had come back from whatever room she had been in, had seen him with one chocolate drop in his palm, and then had lunged at him—had hopped over the couch to do so. She then had proceeded to tickle him mercilessly until he had placed the Kiss back into the bowl. That had been quite the hard thing to accomplish considering she had been tickling him the whole time. Reid had not _known_ he was ticklish until that moment.

After the incident was over, they had only stared at one another, panting, for a full minute in their tangled positions on the floor. Finally, Kelly had rolled off of him, and then gave the explanation as to why she had behaved in such a way. Reid had understood. After all, he was the same with his special edition _Star Wars_ collection. She had laughed quite loudly and called him a nerd again. Then she had kissed the skin between his eyebrows. That had been one of the last times she had referred to him that way.

"_Ey, ey_!" Kevin snapped in his face to get his attention. Reid shook his head a bit and widened his eyes. He had been lost in thought again. "What you got that shit-eating grin on yo face fo?" The profiler cleared his throat.

"No reason," he said. "Let's sit down. I think we should sit down." Reid walked back over to the couch, wanting to shield his embarrassment. The two brothers followed him, of course. They sat before he did, though, leaving him to sit on the chair instead. They stared at him. He stared back. It was very much awkward. Reid averted his gaze to the coffee table.

"How old are you, anyway?" Kevin asked. "Fifteen…?" He didn't look that young, did he? No, most likely Kevin was trying to tease him.

"Actually, I'm turning thirty next month," Reid replied.

"Really? And here I was thinking you were younger than my sister," André muttered. "Twenty-seven and thirty… That's almost three years, right?" He glanced at his younger brother. Kevin nodded.

"Last time was like that, too," he remarked.

"Last time…?" Reid repeated, curious.

"Last time—the last time she brought a guy home," Kevin clarified. The genius blinked. Kelly had never mentioned her past relationships. He had assumed that he was… Well, it was ridiculous to think that way. He _couldn't_ have been the first. Still… "But-" Kevin's eyes darted around. "-We're not allowed to talk about it. It ended real bad. I didn't think she'd get another one." He looked as though he might continue, but André suddenly said his name in that intimidating voice. Immediately, Kevin's mouth closed. Then he grinned. "My bad, my bad—it's _taboo_." That was disappointing…

"So what is it that you do?" André made the profiler shift his gaze. "Kelly said you were in the FBI, but you look as about as useful as Kev in a fight."

"Hey!"

"I'm a profiler. I study criminal behavior and use that to stop serial killers."

"I thought you was a doctor, cuz," Kevin said.

"You seem to have it stuck in your head that I perform surgeries on the daily bases. That's not true. Just about anyone could obtain a PhD if they put forth the effort. I merely have PhDs in Mathematics, and Chemistry and Engineering. You know PhD actually stands for Doctor of Philosophy. It's an advanced degree requiring usually three to eight years of study beyond receiving a Bachelor's degree. The PhD candidate does not necessarily study philosophy, though. In fact, many candidates study science or different liberal arts fields. The title of _doctor_ is not always used, and is essentially honorary in the US. Typically, in the US, those with PhDs are not referred to as doctors as are medical doctors. Based on the origin of the word doctor, however, those who earn a PhD degree have more right to call themselves doctors than those who hold medical degrees," Reid ended the explanation with a chuckle. Expectedly, the two brothers stared at him blankly. Finally, Kevin reacted.

"What—did you just cuss at me?" he exclaimed, pointing a finger.

"He only said he wasn't a medical doctor that you're used to," André made Reid's words clear. He understood! Perhaps this meant that the oldest brother was beginning to accept him? "I guess it's more believable that you graduated from high school before you reached puberty." Nope—still as distrusting as ever. He knew because backhanded compliments were a way to keep distance between people. "Anyway, you ever kill someone?" Ah, Kelly had asked him that question before. She had wanted to know how he felt about it—ending another person's life. Admittedly, he didn't like to think about it or bring it up. She must have been watching him closely because she had told him he didn't have to answer if it made him uncomfortable. He didn't think André would be as understanding as Kelly had been. Soon after the first question, he fired off more. "How'd that make you feel? Would you do it again? Would you _like_ to do it again? Do you carry a firearm with you at all times?"

"Would you calm yo ass down, André? This ain't one of those military psych evals!" Kevin came to his rescue. "He wouldn't last!" And then he insulted him.

"Hey, guys! Dinner's ready!"

The Holloway brothers immediately hopped up upon hearing their sister's voice. Reid had no choice but to quickly do the same. He followed André and Kevin pass the kitchen and into the dining room. Kelly and her mother were already seated and sharing a laugh. Since the brothers arrived first, they had chosen their seats. That left Reid farthest from his girlfriend at the opposite end of the circled table. He sat in between the two brothers. Honestly, it would have been more comforting to be near her. For a split moment, he shared a glance with Kelly. She smiled before averting her line of vision. She had no idea how much better he felt because of that.

A smile tugged on his own face. Kevin cleared his throat. "You gotta put your hands up for the praya, cuz!" he told him. Prayer…? Well, he supposed that they never discussed religion. Should they have? Reid copied the Holloway family raising their hands. Tina opened her mouth, but her youngest son cut her off before she could begin. "_Nah_, ma, I got this."

"Why the in the hell are you talking that way?" she questioned.

"Man, ya'll need to stop playin'! You know I always talk this way!" Kevin exclaimed. With their hands up, the rest of the Holloway members rolled their eyes. The youngest brother cleared his throat. "Anyway!" Again, he cleared his throat. "_Je_sus~ and the Father! Bless this food we are about to partake!" His siblings groaned simultaneously and grumbled something about a stupid preacher's voice. They were ignored. "We are gathered here today…" He clapped his hands twice. "To sing, to laugh, to eat, to play!" Eyes rolled yet again. "Can I get a _hiiiiiigh_ Amen?"

"No," Tina replied, causing her youngest son to pout. At least until he realized that his current persona was a 'hard thug, raised on the streets,' according to Kelly's sarcastic explanation of him. He cleared his throat.

"Just a normal Amen then?"

"Amen," the family spoke in unison, and then dropped their arms. Reid hastily did the same. "Mom, where's the drinks?" André suddenly questioned.

"Oh, that's right! I thought we could all try that drink Kelly brought back with her," Tina replied. "I forgot to bring it out, though… and the glasses." Kelly stood up, offering to retrieve the items. Reid watched her go. Something she had brought back…? "Speaking of which, why didn't you go with Kelly when she went to her friend's wedding? She did ask you, didn't she?" His girlfriend's mother asked, standing. The older woman began to putting food on the empty plates. Now he understood. A month ago, Kelly had asked him to go with her to her best friend's wedding in South Korea. Unfortunately, in the end, he couldn't go with her. Clearing his throat, Reid explained that he had been called away on a case right before they were scheduled to leave. "_Huh_. So your job's more important than my daughter?" The red sauce had splattered up and a bit of it hit his chin.

"N-No…!" he hurriedly stated. "But… Kelly understands."

"_Hm_—is that so?" Reid opened his mouth to continue, but Tina had already moved on to Kevin's plate, seemingly ignoring him. He closed his mouth and shifted his gaze to his full plate. Spaghetti. There were chunks of meat and tomatoes as well. The profiler took this chance to wipe the sauce from his chin with his thumb. Kelly did understand, right? Once she had even told him that she found his job interesting and complimented him on choosing it despite all the things he _could_ have done with his life. She believed stopping real criminals was one of the greatest things a person could do. She definitely understood. Still, he couldn't help the doubts that sprung up due to Tina's comments. Was this unsure feeling normal? Had Hotch felt this way at one point during his marriage?

"I almost couldn't find the fifth shot glass," Kelly announced upon her return. She gave each person a small glass. "Moving stuff around again for no reason, mom?"

"Hush you…!" Tina had returned to her seat after serving her guests. Chuckling, Kelly sat down as well. Then she opened one of the green glass bottles she had brought. The other had been set in the middle of the table by the breadsticks. She poured the clear liquid into her mother's glass first, and then moved on to André. Once done, her brother took the bottle from her, and then poured his sister, and then Reid a drink. Muttering his thanks, he was given the bottle, most likely to do the same to Kevin. This serving process ended with the youngest brother. He only had to place the bottle near the full bottle. "Is Jessica back from her honeymoon yet?" the mother asked after everyone had begun eating.

"She was supposed to come back three weeks after the wedding, but she loves it over there," Kelly answered. "I think she and Ji Hyuk will move there permanently one day. But she told me that they're coming back next month."

"I'm still so surprised she got married," André commented. "You sure she's not there for the eye candy?"

"Jessica's changed," Kelly murmured with a scowl in her brother's direction. She then smiled. "I've never seen her so happy. The wedding was amazing. _Anyone_ could tell that they're in love." Reid felt a bit left out. He had yet to meet his girlfriend's best friend. He hadn't met this Ji Hyuk either. Kelly had mentioned him before, though. Reid believed his last name was Kim. That meant her best friend was called Jessica Kim now. "They're Blasian kids will be so cute!" Kevin mocked his sister by repeating her last sentence, but in a much higher-pitched voice. "You've got five seconds to distract me," she threatened.

"Anyway, cuz, where you take my baby sister on yo first date?" Kevin was quick to change the subject as he looked away from his sister's frosty stare. "Let me guess—an aquarium? _Nah, nah_—you watched the Discovery Channel together, didn't you?"

"Actually, we went to a museum," Reid answered. Both André and Kevin snorted. "We were kicked out, though. The tour guide was not happy that I knew more on the exhibits than he did."

"Still not surprise." The oldest brother grinned. They laughed, except his girlfriend, who appeared thoughtful.

"We went bowling afterwards," she mentioned.

"Was he any good?" Kevin asked. Reid flushed in slight embarrassment. Apparently, that was all the answer the youngest brother needed. "Oh, that's too funny." The genius inaudibly sighed. It appeared as though he wasn't making any headway with Kelly's family. So far they didn't seem impressed with him. He picked up his glass and swallowed almost all of it. Immediately, he regretted doing that. The taste was something akin to rubbing alcohol, vodka, and a splash of lemon. It wasn't a good combination to have in one's mouth. He coughed and sputtered. It felt as though he was hacking up his lungs. All eyes were on him—he knew it. So embarrassing. Finally, he felt several smacks to his back, along with the sound of Kevin laughing at him. Well, at least he was trying to help, right? "_Haha_, trying to take it to the head so quick, cuz?" At last, his coughing fit faded, but not his discomfort. Reid didn't dare to look anyone in the eye.

"Pansy."

"André!" Tina's sounded as though she was scolding her oldest son. Ignoring his mother for a moment, the older man held up his shot glass.

"_This_ is how a _real_ man drinks liquor!" he announced, and then downed the entire shot in two gulps. Like Reid, André almost hacked out his organs. Kelly snorted and laughed.

"A real man, _huh_?" she quipped.

"Sh-Sh-Shut it!" André managed to cough out.

"First timers should take it slow," Kelly told them before doing the same actions as her oldest brother. She, however, only squeezed her eyes shut and sighed out as if she were only drinking soda. "Once you get used to it, it's okay. It's really popular over there." She held up her glass. "Can you pour me another, Spencer?" Nodding, Reid picked up the green glass bottle and poured the soju into her glass. "Thanks." This time, she only sipped the foreign liquid. Her mother did the same.

"So what's yo deal, anyway?" Kevin spoke. He had finally stopped laughing. "Kells yo first girl?" About to answer, Reid opened his mouth. However, André had returned from his coughing fit and decided to answer for him.

"I bet he's never had _any_ action before Kelly," he said. Kevin grinned, showing his teeth.

"Bet he don't even know what _Bating_ Time is."

Kelly glared at both of her brothers. Tina cleared her throat, causing her heads to turn in her direction. "Do not talk about masturbating at the dinner table," she said. "Such a bad activity." Kevin visibly sulked. Kelly continued to glower. André scoffed.

"Masturbation is not a bad activity. Actually, it's pretty much healthy," Reid said. "It increases stamina and regulates the sperm count. Some scientists suggest that men who masturbate, at least, three times a week is more likely to produced healthy offspring. There are studies going on right now to prove that weak and old sperm cells are one of the causes as to why normal families produce children with developmental disabilities. Also, the act itself triggers endorphins in the brain. This can lessen the effects of depression and relieve… stress…" By the time he had trailed off, he realized he had made a _huge_ mistake. Kelly stared, wide-eyed and opened mouth, at him as if to say 'Did you really just admit that you masturbate… in _front_ of my family?' Reid gulped and turned his gaze down to his plate. He hadn't realized he had eaten it all. This was really _bad_. Super bad. Mega bad. A sequel to _Star Trek: 2009_ bad.

Then the tense atmosphere was broken by the sound of Tina, Kelly's mother, laughing quite loudly. She even snorted a few times. Soon, she was joined by the rest of her family. André repeatedly smacked his palm against the table. Kevin nearly fell out of his chair. No. He just did actually. Kelly's hand covered her mouth. Her eyes were squeezed shut. Clearly, the Holloway family found his words to be highly amusing. Reid just looked on, not sure of what to do.

At last, their laughter began to fade. Kevin complained that he couldn't breathe as he moved to sit back in his chair. Tina wiped tears of mirth from the corner of her left eye. "Whe-Where did you _find_ this guy?" André didn't lose his chuckles.

"I'm putting that in one of my routines," Kevin chortled. "You don't mind, do you, Guru?" Reid blinked, furrowed his brow, and shook his head dumbly, still wondering what just happened. Tina stood up, chuckling.

"_Haah_—I'm going to put on some music," she said before walking away from the table.

"I'm going to bring out the _Uno_ cards," André announced.

"I'm getting some normal alcohol!" Kevin stood up as well.

"I guess I'll clear the table then," Kelly muttered, amusement still in her eyes. "Spencer, can you grab the pot of spaghetti for me?" The profiler, as if in a daze, nodded and picked up the pot that held the dinner. He also picked up the basket that was once filled with breadsticks. Following her into the kitchen, he could only stare at her back. Kelly didn't seem to notice. She was too busying rinsing the plates off. "You're so amazing, you know that?"

"Why do they suddenly seem like they're friendly?" Reid finally questioned. His girlfriend turned off the water and turned to face him. Upon noticing the pot still in his hands, she rolled her eyes and took it from him.

"What—you didn't catch that?" she asked, going towards the refrigerator. The lid of the pot almost fell to the floor as she opened the refrigerator door. After she put the leftovers away, she turned her gaze back to him. "Where'd my genius profiler boyfriend go?"

"Kelly."

"Fine, fine—my family just accepted you," she stated. Her hand took the bread basket away.

"Just like that?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

"Because you're funny."

Reid's lips parted, coming to a sudden understanding. Of course. Kelly thrived on humor. She had to have gotten that from somewhere. Her family—the people she had known all her life—was responsible for this, which meant they, too, loved a good laugh. The more twisted whatever they thought was funny the better. "So what you're saying is… all I had to do was tell a joke and they would have welcomed me with open arms from the beginning?" It looked as though Kelly was going to respond with a 'yes.'

"No," is what had come out of her mouth. She even shook her head. "If you told them a joke, they would have become more hostile."

"What? But you always laugh at my jokes."

"No, actually, I laugh at your _attempts_ at telling a joke to a _normal_ person." Reid took on a sour expression, silently commenting how his girlfriend was far from normal. "That's what I find funny. They would not have had the same response—trust me."

"… I… am never telling you another joke."

Kelly pouted, but before she could protest, Kevin's voice got their attention, telling them to get ready to lose. Smiling, his girlfriend grabbed his hand and led him back to the dining room. There were two empty chairs left and they were right next to each other. Perhaps they _had_ accepted him? Reid and Kelly moved to sit. He could feel an intense gaze, but he realized that it wasn't on him. Specifically, it was more on his and Kelly's intertwined fingers. However, he didn't say anything. "Who's dealing?" Tina asked.

"Me!" Kevin snatched the deck of _Uno_ cards from his brother. "André and Kelly cheat!"

"No I don't!" the siblings denied such a thing. Ignoring them, Kevin began passing out the cards.

"You do know how to play, don't you, Guru?"

"I haven't _played_ before, but I know the rules," Reid answered.

"Don't let his innocent response fool you!" Kelly told her family. Smiling, she continued. "He's from _Vegas_."

"That don't mean a damn thing!" André rearranged his cards in his hand. Reid and Kelly released one another to do the same with their cards. "I'm the champ around here."

"That's because you _cheat_," Kevin muttered.

"Stop it already, you two," Tina scolded.

"I'm serious, though," Kelly went on. "I haven't beaten him at any strategy game."

"Except _Go_."

"Oh, yeah," she agreed with a grin. "But that's only because I think I was a general of an elite army in my past life. Luck, too. It was only one time."

"Since when do you believe in reincarnation?" Tina questioned.

"Since she realized that God wouldn't be foolish enough to waste perfection on one life," Reid answered for his girlfriend. "Her words, not mine." Kelly turned and gave him a warm smile. Her siblings and mother, though, laughed.

"You sure do know our narcissistic sister well!" André remarked.

"Enough, let's play already!" Tina put down a card, starting the game.

0-0

The evening went on filled with laughs, horrible singing, and dancing. Also, André had refused to believe he had lost his championship, and had sporadically challenged rematches in the game of _Uno_. Perhaps it hadn't helped that Kelly had gloated about her boyfriend's victories, or that Reid had been quite smug about winning. During the course of the night, he had learned quite a bit from the Holloway family. At one point, his girlfriend had the largest crush on the entertainer, Michael Jackson, and had been determined to marry him someday. At having such a thing be revealed, Kelly had become quite embarrassed. As a result, she had drunk the rest of the soju. Currently, she was dancing, sloppily, around the table where André, Kevin, and he were playing another game of _Uno_.

Speaking of the oldest brother, Reid had learned that André wasn't really into sports, despite his physique. Though, it didn't stop him from going to the gym. The profiler wasn't surprised. The man was obviously an alpha. He had also learned that André wasn't necessarily _overprotective_. He just couldn't stand the thought of anyone touching his sister. He usually didn't say anything, and actually _believed_ he didn't outwardly show his displeasure. Too bad for him, he had been born a blinker, too.

From Kevin, he learned that not only was he a comedian, but he also had a knack for drawing. The tattoo on his left shoulder with the letters TK was of a font Reid had never seen before. Proudly, Kevin had told him that he designed the font himself, and that the letters were from his mother and sister's names. Kevin, as part of his act, did impersonation, which is why his 'thug accent' had sounded so real. The man could even pull off an Irish accent.

"Get some!" Kevin threw down his last card, winning the game. André didn't look quite as happy as his brother did.

"Screw this game!" he exclaimed, throwing his cards on the table. "Kev won before _me_?"

"Looks like the Guru threw you off." Kevin grinned cheekily as he dodged a punch from André.

"I demand a rematch!"

"No, no more rematches," Tina said. Around here, here word was law. The siblings—and he now—had no choice but to bend to her will. She cared for her family with an iron fist, yet never had to raise her voice or hand. He had learned that the woman did not have a passive-aggressive disorder. Rather, she was passive, yet aggressive at the same time. "It's time to go. Kelly's five seconds away from hitting her head on something."

"No, no…!" The younger woman wagged her finger. "I am _perfectly_ alright." Her words were clearly slurred, signaling that she was not alright. Reid would have to drive her home—that was certain. "Don't look at me like that." She glared at the floor and stomped her foot.

"Yeah…" Kevin drawled. "Let's help her to her car, André." The two brothers stood up and made a grab for their sister. She immediately squealed and dashed away. In sync, they groaned before going after the novelist.

"I should help." Reid moved to stand.

"No," Tina's voice effectively stopped him. He even sat back down. It was amazing that her soft voice command in such a way. "She usually becomes like this when she's drunk. They've learned how to subdue her successfully. Help me gather the _Uno_ cards instead." Reid slowly nodded, reaching for the pile of cards. The mother of his girlfriend smiled before gathering another pile. After a few moments of relative silence, Tina spoke again. "Did you know," she began, taking the cards from her guest and staking them neatly. "That you are only the second one Kelly's brought home? Of course she's been in other relationships, but you are only the second official boyfriend."

"I… became aware that there was someone here before me," Reid replied. Tina set the deck of cards to the side. "I know that that relationship ended badly. Are you… thinking I'd end our relationship in the same way?" The woman shifted her gaze for a moment. However, she didn't answer his question. She had frowned.

"Tell me, Spencer, where do you plan to take your relationship with my daughter?"

"…" The question had startled him. So much that he hadn't answered right away. It took several moments to find his voice again. "I… haven't really thought about it." It was a lie. He had thought about it. However, with each scenario he thought of, in the end, Kelly had always moved on. No matter how the situation played out. Because of that, he opted not to think about it too often. Kelly was independent. She didn't need him. Unaware of it, a bitter smile appeared on his face. Reid felt his eyelids lower as he stared down at the table's top. Whenever he thought about it, he wished he couldn't and wouldn't.

"Spencer," Tina murmured. Reluctantly he met the woman's gaze. "Aren't you supposed to be a genius? Don't be so weak-minded." Reid's brow furrowed, not understanding. "You should have more confidence in yourself." The smile returned to her lips. Ever so slightly, his eyelids rose higher. Had she… just read him as though he were an open book? Tina Holloway was truly a mysterious woman. "My daughter may act a certain way, but deep down…" Before she could finish, André and Kevin returned, appearing almost exhausted. "What happened to you two?"

"That girl should have not continued taking those goddamn classes!" Kevin replied. "She hit me in the balls!"

"So much for subduing her successfully," Tina showed her teeth in a grin. The woman stood up, taking the cards with her. Reid stood up as well. "Spencer, it was a pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you again."

"_Ah_, yes—of course!"

"Take care of my daughter," she continued, walking around the table towards him. Reid blinked. Did she mean her drunken daughter or something deeper than that? Before the genius could ponder further, the woman wrapped her arms around him. "Get her home safe." He could only nod as Tina released him. Kelly's purse was tossed towards his hands.

"See you, Guru," Kevin said his goodbye. "Maybe we should meet up for drinks one night?"

"Count me in," André added.

"Uh, sure," Reid was pleasantly surprised. "I guess we'll go now. Good night."

"Good night," the three responded in unison. "Don't take advantage of my sister either!" André called as the profiler left. Reid almost scoffed at the command.

The brother should be more worried of his sister taking advantage of him.

0-0

Reid pulled into his girlfriend's driveway. He turned the car off, and then the headlights. Unbuckling the seatbelt, he shifted his gaze towards Kelly. With her head turned away from him, she appeared to be sleeping. The slow rise and fall of her chest was another indicator. The young profiler watched her for a moment longer before taking the key from the ignition, and then getting out of the car, but not without locking the door. He moved over to the passenger side and opened the door. Even the cool wind hitting her face did not wake her.

His hand reached past her to unbuckle her seatbelt. He caught the metal part before it could recoil and hit Kelly. Slowly, he returned it to its original position. Reid's eyes turned back to her. When she slept, she had such an irritated expression. Did her dreams cause this? Still, the genius found himself smiling at her sleeping face. He lightly touched the skin between her eyebrows, smoothing out the wrinkles. She groaned a bit, yet still didn't wake up. Before he realized it, he was kissing her parted lips. He didn't know the reason for it, though.

"Spencer…"

Her muffled voice caused Reid to rear back, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. He was faintly aware of André's warning echoing in his head. Kelly's eyes were opened now. She repeated his name. Reid noted that she sounded tired. Maybe she didn't realize what he had done? "We're at your house," he told her. She nodded, blindly grabbing for her purse.

"Carry me," she ordered, getting out. Reid chuckled. He turned around so that she could jump on his back. She had done so in the past whether he was unsuspecting or not. Her arms and legs wrapped around him. The sudden weight made the profiler grunt. Other than that, he was fine having already gotten used to this position. "_Hm_… strong…" Her lips pressed against the back of his neck.

"Kelly, you shouldn't have drunk so much," Reid told her, closing the door with his left leg. "What if you didn't have a designated driver?"

"But _you_ were there," she slurred. "So I didn't… hold back because… I knew you'd take care of me." His heartbeat quickened, hearing her barely distinguishable words. Feeling her slipping a bit, Reid readjusted her. He swallowed hard as he made his way to the door. Did she realize what she did to him? Unlocking the door, he sighed when it opened. Kelly giggled lightly for no reason as the door closed behind him. Her hold on him tightened a bit as if she thought she was going to be dropped.

Reid continued through the house at a slow pace. Admittedly, he liked the feeling that came with carrying his girlfriend. It had been a foreign feeling at one point. Now, it felt almost natural. Turning and dropping down a bit, the genius set the woman down on the bed. As if sensing her bed was near, Kelly released him and settled down on the bed, turning on her side. Reid returned to his full height and turned back around. His girlfriend was using her arms as a makeshift pillow. Seemingly, she wanted to drift back to sleep.

Shaking his head a bit, Reid moved to take off her shoes and socks. Next, were on her pants. Kelly liked to sleep in only her underwear. That's the only reason why he was doing this. Despite his girlfriend weakly pushing his hands away and calling him a pervert, his intentions were _pure_. Finally, he got the shirt off, leaving behind the white undershirt. Once the task was done, Reid shifted his girlfriend's body further up and covered her body with the bedspread. "Kelly, I'm leaving now," he whispered. Not liking that, her fingers gripped his shirt and told him to stay. "You have work tomorrow. I can't stay."

"No, stay with me!" she almost whined, pulling him down. Reid had no choice but to lie down beside her. Despite the rough way she handled the situation, he smiled.

"Okay," he agreed. Situating himself comfortably next to her, Reid pulled her closer, and then kicked off his shoes. She immediately cuddled against his form, complimenting his body heat. "Did you know body heat-" Her finger was pressed to his lips, cutting off his sentence. "Sorry…" he mumbled. "Habit."

"No—not that," Kelly shook her head. She smiled, taking her finger away. "I just wanted… to say that my—they seem to like you."

"Yeah…?"

"Yeah…" She closed her eyes, most likely seconds away from falling asleep. "No more headaches." Her slurred comment caused the genius to blink in confusion. Then he remembered. He had been so anxious about meeting his girlfriend's immediate family that he had gotten quite a few headaches because of it. Reid nodded. "I hope I'm not… as freaked… out… as you… when I meet you… parents."

He froze. What? Kelly meeting his mother and father… The novelist didn't see his slightly dismayed expression. Sleep had taken her by the time she finished her startling sentence. No. She couldn't meet them. She'd _find out_. Reid's head shook. He… didn't want _her_ knowing _that_. The profiler frowned, gazing down at his sleeping girlfriend. "I don't… want to risk this," he spoke softly. He shook his head again. "I'm sorry… You can't meet them." Gingerly, he placed a kiss to her forehead.

With any luck, she may just forget she brought it up.

0~0

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family," –Anthony Brandt


	5. Devolve

Warning! This is about 2, 616 words longer than necessary. Please enjoy.

* * *

><p>Kelly banged her head against her steering wheel. This was not good. No matter how many times she thought about it, ultimately the result was the same. Scowling, the woman lifted her head. Was it really any wonder why she didn't like dealing with people? She sighed heavily. Her shift had almost been over, too. Seriously, it was fifteen minutes before she could leave. Honestly, she should have seen it coming. <em>"That guy…"<em> she thought, squeezing her eyes shut.

It had been a little over two weeks since that new customer had come in. Without fail, around dinner time, he had always appeared. She had felt his leer on her body more than just a few times. As far as looks go, he was definitely above average. There was no denying that. However, his personality was too arrogant. It was a sad fact that she had played around with guys like him before. Still, she could deal with his eyes undressing her and his perverse comments. She wasn't going to let him get to her. Well, that's what she had thought prior to thirty minutes ago. Kelly sighed again. How had she lost her temper so quickly?

Things had gotten bad to worse when she had insulted his lower regions and told him that he wasn't half the man her boyfriend was. The prideful customer hadn't appreciated that, especially after she had shown him her cell phone's desktop, which was a picture of herself kissing her boyfriend on the cheek. The customer had become so angry that he had thrown his drink at the counter. This wouldn't have been a problem if the contents of the cup hadn't splashed up upon her. Oh. Oh had she enjoyed the looks on every customer's faces when she had jumped over the counter and thrashed the poor guy. Conversely, she hadn't liked the look on her manager's face too much once the beating was over.

Again, Kelly sighed, sitting back. More than likely, she would be getting the call in the morning, telling her not to show up for work ever again. Shrugging, the novelist took her keys from the ignition. It was only McDonalds anyway. Sure she had had the job since she was eighteen, but still, she had two other jobs, plus a career. It wouldn't put a huge dent in her wallet. Luckily, she had planned ahead by looking for more jobs when she had first been hired by the Golden Arches. As long as she didn't screw up her last two jobs, she was good.

"_Haah_… I need a shower."

Being sticky on top of smelling like old fast food did little for her appearance. Kelly opened the car door and, after closing the door, hurriedly entered her home. However, she had to double back to shut off the headlights. Once she was back inside her house, she closed the door and locked it. _"What a stressful night," _Kelly thought, frowning. Just as she was taking her shoes off, she felt her cell phone vibrating within her jacket pocket. That was odd. It was probably somewhere around 8:30. No one should be calling her at this time. She took her phone out, and then flipped it open. Noticing it was her boyfriend calling, Kelly's brow furrowed a bit more. Strange. He didn't usually call her while he was in the middle of a case. Could something be wrong? Finally, she answered the call. "Hello…?"

"_Ah_! Kelly, I wasn't expecting you to pick up," he murmured. The woman tilted her head to the side. "You usually don't answer your phone when you're driving. Are you driving?" Kelly found herself glowering. She had long since quit the habit of driving while talking on the phone. Having her genius boyfriend recite scary ass statistics about fatal crashes due to talking/texting on the phone put a complete stop to her habit.

"Of course I'm not driving," she answered. "I just got home." She held the cell phone between her ear and shoulder as she removed her jacket. Letting it slip to the floor, Kelly ventured further into her house. "Why are you calling, by the way? I thought you said this case could take at least two days. It's only _been_ two days." The novelist bent her torso a bit as she opened the refrigerator.

"Actually, we managed to wrap up the case pretty quickly. We're already back in Quantico, so I was thinking that maybe you'd want to come over since we haven't seen each other because of the back to back cases I've had and-"

"Look at that, Emily. We ain't been back ten minutes and he's already trying to get his groove back." That was the voice of the gung-ho jackass. Kelly clicked her tongue in disdain as she grabbed a water bottle from her refrigerator.

"Leave Reid alone, Morgan. At least he _has_ someone." That was the voice of the dark-haired beauty on her boyfriend's team. She looked as though she could handle herself, and Kelly had to respect that.

"Hey, I can have someone anytime I want!" Morgan loudly proclaimed. "_Ey_, Baby Girl-"

"Not tonight, my chocolate sex god," Garcia interrupted. "The only thing on my mind is a hot bath. Tata, my kittens!"

"_Ignoring_ my nosy coworkers-"

"Hey!" The indignant shout was in unison. Kelly couldn't help but laugh.

"-Will you come over? _Ah_, you might be tired since you've just left work, but-"

"No, it's fine. I'll be over," Kelly answered. She twisted the top off the bottle. "See you then… _kitten_." Her boyfriend gave a chuckle of embarrassment, repeated her sentence, without the kitten part, and hung up his cell phone. Grinning, the novelist removed her cell phone from in between her shoulder ear. Speaking with him always put her in higher spirits. She took several gulps of water. Her throat was dry, and most likely would be sore and hoarse by tomorrow, due to the verbal sparring match between herself and her manager. Sighing, Kelly placed the bottle and her cell phone on the counter next to the refrigerator. _"Should I eat first or wait?"_ she thought. A quick sniff of her shirt made the woman grimace. _"I think I'll hold off on eating for now. Shower comes first."_

0-0

Kelly, frowning, came to a halt. Her brow furrowed as her gaze zeroed in on the odd sight before her. Her arm dropped to her side. She had been about to knock on the door when she noticed it. The door was partially opened. Seeing as how her boyfriend made sure to _slam_ his door shut to know that it closed properly, this was too strange. She pushed open the door; it slowly moved, emitting a loud creaking noise. Another strange occurrence. Not one lamp was lit in his apartment. "_Hm_…?" Stepping in, she looked around. He wasn't in sight however. She called his name. He did not answer. Instead, the door slammed shut behind her, causing her to flinch. That irritated her quite a bit. The young woman planted her feet and placed her hand on her hip. "Spencer! Are you in here? If not I'm calling the police for attempted burglary."

"Call the police; they can't help you." It was the disembodied voice that made Kelly freeze. Slowly, she turned around towards where the strange voice came from. Narrowed light shone under a… green, bruised and bloody monster mask. Mentally, Kelly calmed down after realizing what she was staring at. As she was still close to the door, it only took two steps for her to be in front of the masked man. Without warning, she partially lifted the mask, revealing human flesh and a voice changer microphone.

"Hey, Spencer," she greeted, and then kissed his cheek. Kelly put the mask back in place. "Why do you have all the lights off?" Not waiting for an answer, she slipped her jacket off, and then sat down on the couch in order to remove her boots. She unzipped her left boot first before focusing her gaze on him again. "What?"

"What? That's it?" His disembodied voice actually sounded incredulous. Kelly slowly took off her boot, wondering why he sounded so upset. "After all that preparation and _that_ is what I get?" Again, she could only stare in confusion.

"I'm not getting what you're—_ah_! I know now!" Kelly exclaimed. She removed her other boot before standing. The woman stalked over to her boyfriend. Expectedly, he noticed the look in her eyes, causing him to begin stuttering and backing away. Almost a year into their relationship and his reaction to her suddenly demanding change was still pleasant to see. She enjoyed seeing his embarrassment and aroused face. Too bad the mask was in the way this time. Her left hand smacked against the wall beside his head. She heard his gasp over the flashlight dropping from his hand to the floor. "Sorry," she apologized, lowering her voice to a seductive whisper. "I wasn't thinking clearly." Her right hand reached up, lifting his mask again. His face was visible from his nose down. Kelly tilted her chin up. "I missed you…" He licked his lips. "Spencer." As she spoke, her lips gradually moved near his. His mouth parted in anticipation. Smiling, Kelly made sure the space between them ceased to exist.

A rush came with kissing him. She supposed that she did, indeed, miss the profiling genius. His hands found their way to her hips. Slow, rhythmic, and soft kisses were given and received. After such a long period of time, his touch felt surprisingly thrilling. Kelly reached up higher to pull the mask completely off as she reared her head back. His eyelids were still shut. He mumbled something, but it was too bunched together to comprehend. Not to mention, the voice changer was still doing its thing. Giggling, Kelly asked him to repeat himself. "I said…" he replied, almost breathlessly. "I missed you, too."

"Good to know." She gave another peck to his cheek before turning and moving back towards the couch. With a sigh, she sat back down, examining the mask in her hand. "Why are you wearing this, by the way?" By then, her boyfriend seemed to snap out of his daze.

"A welcome back kiss is not what I meant!" he stated as he moved to turn the lamp on the lamp closest to him. He then picked up the dropped flashlight. "You were supposed to be frightened or, at the very least, startled."

"By _this_?" Kelly asked, holding up the mask.

"Yes!"

"… But how am I supposed to fear something that's not real? Besides, I honestly wouldn't be afraid of something that I can physical fight."

Spencer stared at her for a full minute. Kelly raised an eyebrow. Finally, the genius sighed, shoulders slouching. "I guess that means October is just another month to you?" he asked. She gave a nod of affirmation. Spencer sighed again, finally removing the voice changer from his other cheek. "I don't understand! This is the one time of year that-"

"Halloween is a ridiculous holiday that gives women and teenage girls a reason to dress like they're prostitutes all day. But for the rest of the year, those same females shun the actual profession. Hypocritical. Also, people run around, wearing masks and letting their children do the same. The one time of year where it's okay to be a monster and a slut—that is the essence of Halloween nowadays. Sorry, I don't participate in the hoopla," Kelly explained. Stunned, disbelieving eyes stared back at her. Spencer even shook his head as though what he had heard wasn't real. "_Uh_… I take it you feel the opposite?"

"The _complete_ opposite!" Spencer sat down beside her. "Halloween is-"

She didn't necessarily cut him off, she only stopped listening. The look on his face told her before he started that he was about to go on a tangent. Pretending to listen while nodding her head, Kelly merely stared at his lips. It was always good to do that. However, staring for too long would most likely cause her to lean in and kiss him. Then he'd _know_ she wasn't really listening. She wondered how she had missed this last year. Ah, right. They hadn't known each other at the beginning of the month last year. They had started dating somewhere near the end of the month. At that point, there was no way he would have opened up about things that fascinated him. And clearly he was fascinated. Even now his lips continued to move quickly. Anyway, the year had been over by the time he had been ready to do that.

"_Speaking of that,"_ Kelly thought, frowning. _"It's almost that time… I've never had a one-year anniversary. I wonder if Spencer even thinks about it."_

"Which is why, in celebration-" Oh, he was finishing his rant. She had better start paying attention again. "I plan on watching Freddy, Jason, Michael, and Chucky."

"Chucky? The _doll_?"

"Despite the obvious differences in the movies, that slasher franchise is as popular as the others."

"So for the rest of the month, you're going to watch movies about popular serial killers? You just don't _want_ to escape your job, do you?"

"That's not it!"

"_Yah, yah_!" Kelly waved off his protest. "Just pop the first movie in, already." Spencer didn't move. "What?"

"I got the feeling when I first spoke to you, but now I know something's clearly wrong," he said. "First off, you arrived home too early." At her blank look, the genius further explained. "Usually, it takes you 14.4 minutes to get from your job to your house. Its 18.7 minutes _if_ you stop for something to eat. Tonight, you arrived at 11 minutes exactly."

"You actually keep track of that? Do you do this for the other two jobs?" Kelly asked. Spencer nodded in head in confirmation. "Great—my boyfriend's a stalker."

"Also." Clearly, he was going to ignore that last comment. "Generally, after working, your demeanor is laid back because you're mentally tired, dealing with customers," he continued. "However, since you've come here, you've been confrontational and nonchalant. Odd combination when you take into account how you usually behave. Not to mention your voice is slightly different, as though you drank something to soothe your throat prior to coming here." Kelly averted her gaze and frowned. "Did something happen at work?"

"Something," she replied. Spencer scooted closer to her. He lightly touched her hand before wrapping his fingers around her wrist. In response, Kelly turned her body to face his, pulling her right leg up on the couch. The genius began massaging the palm of her hand with his thumbs.

"Tell me about it," he said. His gaze was focused entirely on her hand. Kelly watched him for a brief moment before closing her eyes.

"I thought it wouldn't show because I told myself I didn't care," she began.

"Care about what?" he urged her to go on.

"I think I got fired."

"What?" He stopped the massage, eyes snapping up in her direction. Kelly sighed heavily, and then began the story of the confrontation between herself and the unruly customer, and herself and her manager. During the recollection, the novelist noticed the redness in her boyfriend's cheeks. There was really no need to be modest. Her opinions were the truth, after all. Finally, the story came to an end. For a full minute, Spencer's thumbs continued to press against her palm. It definitely made her feel better. Even though it was just her hand, her entire body felt relaxed. "You…" He finally uttered something. "You didn't have to say you thought he was hung like a grape. That's most likely the reason he threw the drink."

"Please, I know the type. His attitude overcompensated for _something_!" Kelly shrugged her shoulders. She took her hand from Spencer, only to give him the other. "But I wonder… I know guys are sensitive about their manhood. It's not like me to lose control and blurt out unnecessary things like that."

"Maybe it's PMS…?" he suggested. The woman laughed. "What? It's getting close to that time, isn't it?"

"You're the only guy I know who doesn't mind talking about the bodily functions of a woman," Kelly replied. Spencer shrugged.

"It's only biology," he stated. "Human, but still biology. I don't get why most men find it uncomfortable to talk about it." Kelly smiled, although he couldn't see it at the moment. She then sighed softly.

"That's probably it," she muttered. "Still, I have two other jobs, right? I'm not worried."

"Subconsciously you are," Spencer stated. "Like you said, it shows."

"Sorry, I'll try to keep it under wraps."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know," Kelly said, pulling her hand back. She moved closer to him, forcing her right leg between the couch and his side. She took a hold of his hand and copied his earlier movements. "What about you? Anything big happen since the last time we were together?" Spencer cleared his throat before answering.

"We have a new team member. Well, she's temporary, but she helped us out with a case before," he stated. "It's a part of her training. Her name's Ashley Seaver."

"_Mmm_… Is she pretty?"

"What? I-I… don't—_uh_-"

"_Hehe_, you totally think she's cute!" she laughed. She even pointed a finger. "You even went to your high voice!" Spencer frowned and snatched his hand away. Her giggles faded. "You don't have to become flustered, Spencer," Kelly told him. Grinning, she switched the massage to his other hand. "It's alright to find other women attractive. If it was another man, _then_ I'd be worried. _Haha_." An uneasy chuckle came from her boyfriend's lips. She noticed and stopped massaging his hand. "Anyway, what movie are we watching first?" she questioned. "Jason? Michael?"

"_Halloween_ came before _Friday the 13__th_, so Michael first," Spencer said, standing up. Kelly also stood, moving away from the living room.

"So we're going in order? _Halloween_, _Friday the 13__th_, _Nightmare on Elm Street_, and then _Child's Play_?"

"For someone so uncaring of this time of year, you sure do know the titles and years well," Spencer's comment was heard even from the kitchen.

"My mom was a horror freak back in the day," Kelly replied in a louder voice. Quickly, she found what she had been looking for—popcorn and her secret stash of dark chocolate. Actually, it wasn't so secret seeing as how the genius had figured out about it a long time ago. He had even called her a choco-holic. How_ rude_. It wasn't like she had 'stashes' at her own house. Kelly leaned against the counter, waiting for the popping noise to stop. She closed her eyes.

"Did you get the big bowl out already?" She heard his voice before she heard his feet hit the tiled floor of the kitchen. Shaking her head, she opened her eyes. "Sorry. I always put it on the top shelf." Spencer reached for the wide, blue bowl after opening the cabinet door. Usually, she would have had to use the counter to reach that shelf in the cabinet. Mentally glowering with slight jealousy, Kelly didn't see him turn to face her. "_Um_…" She focused on him again. "You're not worried…?"

"Worried?"

"I mean… Is it really okay?"

"Oh… Well, just because we're dating doesn't mean I should have a monopoly on you," Kelly said. "You can think whoever you want is cute." His gaze averted. Spencer showed an expression she hadn't seen before. However, it came and went to fast for her to evaluate it. He opened to his mouth to say something else, but the microwave beside her went off, signaling the popcorn was done. "Crap!" Kelly turned her full attention to the appliance. She opened the door with a frown. "I hope there aren't any burnt ones!" Taking the bag out and shaking it, she returned her gaze back to Spencer. "What were you about to say?"

"_Ah_, it's nothing. Let's watch the movie now," he said, and then left the kitchen. Kelly knitted her eyebrows, confused by his rushed talking. Sure, he normally spoke fast, but something about that was… odd. However, she didn't want to pry. Eventually, he might tell her. Right now, they were going to relax and watch slasher films after a hard day's work. She'd probably end up falling asleep on his shoulder again.

"_Since his birthday is coming, I'll be on my best behavior."_ Kelly hid a grin as she walked towards the living room. _"He'll be so happy with the surprise!"_

0-0

Kelly was angry. No, Kelly was livid. Her plans—her wonderfully thought out plans had been ruined thanks to a disgruntled employee. She had literally punched a hole in a wall. Hopefully her dear sweet brother, André, would fix that for her. Either that or she would have to buy a large picture frame. Maybe she could cover it with a poster of _Three Days Grace_? No, she already had three of their posters. Besides, having a poster in the hallway seemed a bit… silly. But back to the matter at hand…

The intensity of her anger had never been felt before. Granted, her plans had always worked out in the end, so there had been no reason to become flustered. However, _this_ plan had been really important. Now it was going to blow up in her face! _"No, no! I must be calm this time!"_ Kelly thought, schooling her features. After all, her rage did not lie with the innocent small hotel owners of Las Vegas. It lied with the incompetent management at the casino she had come from a half an hour ago. Jumping on a plane to come all the way to Nevada only to become angrier was not good.

To properly explain, Kelly had, weeks prior, made a hotel reservation in Las Vegas at a specific hotel. This hotel also had a very large casino. That would be the location of the big event that was happening _this_ weekend. She had known about the event, which is why she had booked a room in the hotel. Yesterday night is when she had called in, wanting to confirm her reservation. They had told her that there wasn't a reservation under her name. Of course that had to be a mistake. Her money had already paid for it, after all. Still, they had told her that there was no room for her this weekend. This hadn't gone over smoothly with the irate novelist, thus the hole in her wall happened. After calming down somewhat, Kelly had decided to personally speak with the people in charge of the casino, which is why she was currently in Las Vegas. Management had told her that a recently fired employee had erased a lot of data and many others had lost their reservation as well. She had not cared about other people. What she had wanted was the room, or at the very least her money back. They hadn't been willing to give her either. Because all the rooms were booked because of the event and since they had no record of her in the first place, they didn't know if she truly had been a customer of theirs, which means they could do nothing for her. Needless to say, things had taken a turn for the worst.

But in the end, she received her money back.

Now, here she was trying to find alternative dwelling for this coming weekend. The last two places were full as well. Hopefully, this hotel would be the one. It was far from the casino, but the walking distance was relatively okay. A shuttle could be used if walking wasn't possible. Kelly slowly breathed out. Her anger should have dissipated some time ago. It wasn't as though she could blame it on her monthly cycle either since it was over. Most likely, she was still upset because this was an important time. This was the first time she had been with a man long enough to celebrate his birthday. It had to be great. Just as she was about to enter the lobby of the hotel, she felt her cell phone vibrating within her inside pocket of her coat. Hurriedly, she pulled at the front of her coat, reaching in with her free hand. Finally, she managed to answer her phone. She hadn't seen who had been calling, though, so she quite surprised to hear her boyfriend's voice.

"Spencer, why are you calling me… _now_?"

"I… Did I call at a bad time?" he asked.

"No… Yes, actually, you did," Kelly said, grimacing. Her gaze traveled up towards the sky. It was a little after twelve. "Is there a reason you're calling me now?" He should still be at work, right?

"Well, I was on break, so-"

"Sorry, I'm a little busy, so I can't talk now," Kelly stated, pushing open the door. "I'm with Jessica," she blurted, getting closer to the desk. "No males allowed calling. _Ah_, she's coming back—talk to you later!" She hung up before Spencer had a chance to respond. Sighing, she apologized in thought. _"I'll make it up to you."_ And what a stupid lie to boot. Jessica wasn't coming back to the states with her 'hubby' until next week. Hopefully, Spencer didn't know that. Finally, Kelly came to a stop in front of the desk. There was a man sitting there, reading. She couldn't see much due to the larger than necessary desk. From what she _could_ tell, he had short, dark wavy hair, yet his bangs were long enough to partially cover his green eyes. Black framed glasses were perched on the tip of his nose. Other than that, she couldn't see the rest of him. Kelly cleared her throat. "Excuse me." Apparently, the employee didn't hear her. "_Excuse_ me!" she repeated in a much louder tone.

The man leapt of with a start, fumbling his reading material around until it fell completely from his hands. "Sorry, I was—_eh_, is there something I could help you with?" He turned his gaze to her. "M-Ma'am…?" He was tall and skinny. Had a baby face, too, so she couldn't pinpoint his exact age. Perhaps he was in his mid or early twenties? Apparently, his name was Matthew, according to the nametag.

"I want a room for this weekend," Kelly told him. "Is there a room free?"

"L-Let me ch-check," he replied. The employee sat down and turned away from her. She could hear his fingers typing, but she couldn't see a keyboard or a computer. After a few moments, he finally slid the chair back over, but he kept his gaze down. "Yes, we have one available room. You're in luck. This weekend is huge, so-"

"How much is it?" the novelist asked, pulling out a card. "No, whatever the case, I'll take it."

"It's _ah_… Hey, haven't I seen you before?" His sudden question caused Kelly to halt for a moment. Then she continued to pull out her card. Her focus returned to the man to find him sizing her up. An eyebrow twitched at his blatant examination. "You lo-look fam-familiar."

"No, I've never been to Vegas, sorry."

Matthew hastily stood up, appearing a bit excited. "You… Could you be-?" Quickly, his arm reached out, book in hand. Kelly had almost reacted to his sudden movement, but she held her arm down. "It's _you_!" The novelist could only stand there, confused. She had never met this person in her life. "_Kane_!"

"What?" Kelly's head turned, looking at the book near her face. To her utter chagrin, her portrait was plastered on the back of the book. The woman snatched the book from the man's hand. "I'm going to kill that woman." She had recognized the book title right away. It had been her newly released one. Her editor had _lied_ to her. She should have known something was up when the woman had asked her for a photo all of a sudden mere hours after telling Kelly that it was time to come out of the shadows of the penname, Kane. _"Oh, when this weekend's over…"_

"Are you planning on writing another book? Is it going to be another sci-fi? Is that why you're coming here this weekend?" The questions were fired one after the other. Pretty soon, the questions ran together until they became nonsense. The guy wasn't even stuttering either. With a mental sigh, Kelly held up a hand. This abruptly cut the man off.

"I… _just_ want a room… for the weekend," she slowly told him. "I will answer your questions after the transaction is complete. Alright?" He rapidly nodded his head in agreement before beginning the transaction. Once done, he told her just mention her name—or penname—when she came in again, and the key to her room would be given to her. Then came the game of Twenty Questions from an obvious fan. This was definitely one of the reason she didn't want her face being associated with her novels. It literally took an hour to get away. Matthew had been terribly disappointed that she had a boyfriend and had planned her stay at the hotel _for_ him, but what could he do?

Upon leaving the business establishment, Kelly stretched her arms high. Her body _ached_. Maybe she should get a massage before going back home? No, her legs and feet were killing her. She almost hated dressing like this—professional like. These heels hurt her big time. She would have to soak her feet in hot water to soothe them. But now that she had gotten the accommodation out of the way, her body was beginning to lose tension already. Spencer had just finished another case, so they shouldn't call on him again until maybe next week. All there was left to do was wait for the big day.

Kelly couldn't help but smile as she walked towards the rental car. To think she thought she would have a headache by the time she returned to the airport. "I should probably eat something before getting on a plane again," she mumbled, pulling the car door open. After pulling the key from her outside pocket, she stuck it in the ignition and turned the car on. The radio blasted out the audio of a commercial. Grinning uneasily, the woman turned down the volume. Blasting rock music while angry was not a good idea. Perhaps that had contributed to as to why she couldn't calm down afterwards? Whatever the case, she was calm now. That's all that mattered.

The novelist pulled out of hotel's parking lot, barely listening to the fifteen second commercial. The trip back to the airport shouldn't take more than twenty minutes, according to the GPS. In order to get back home as quickly as possible, she would eat at one of the food stops in the airport. Kelly hummed along to a radio ad's jingle as she drove. Then the real music came on. It took her a few seconds to realize what the song was. It was one of her favorites. "To my mother… To my father… It's son, or it's your daughter! Are my scre-" Kelly suddenly stopped singing and slammed on the brakes. Ignoring the loud horns and angry shouts of 'Learn how to drive you crazy bitch!' from other drivers, the woman stared blankly at the road in front of her. "_Omo_…! I forgot!" she gasped. Or rather, she hadn't thought about it. This was her boyfriend's birthplace. His parents were _here_. Because of his job, they probably never see each other. Most likely, Spencer dating her had contributed to that as well. _"I could get them to come at one point! They'd all be so happy. Plus I get to meet them!"_ Her brown eyes scanned the area for patrol cars. Finding none, the woman smirked. Then she did an illegal U-turn. She would need a phone book, after all.

0-0

It took longer than expected to find the man she was looking for. It was nearly five 'o clock now. The search would have taken longer if she hadn't been knowledgeable about the man's first name. Spencer had mentioned his parents' names once. Only once, though. Other than that time, he didn't say anything about his parents. Perhaps he felt guilty that he wasn't able to see them often and he didn't like to be reminded of that.

Kelly frowned, eyes examining the building in front of her. It was late. She wondered if the man was still here. She hadn't wanted to show up at his home without warning. Some took offense to that. It would be better if she met him in a public place instead of intruding at his house. Her gazed lingered for a moment on the door. The sign read the name of the business establishment. Wieder Kirschenbaum & Moore: Attorneys at Law. Spencer's father worked at a law firm. _"An attorney?" _she thought. The door was still open, and so she walked right through. As soon as she entered, the receptionist stood up to greet her.

"May I help you?" she asked, walking over to the large desk that separated her area and the hallway. Kelly put on a smile.

"Yes, I'm here to see William Reid," she answered.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Ah, no, but he's the attorney that I want," Kelly stated. "Is he still here?" The receptionist shook her head and rolled her eyes, saying that the man was always here. _"Workaholics… Must run in the family," _the novelist thought, unaware that her smile had turned genuine. "Is it possible to speak with him right now?" Kelly asked.

"Maybe… Why don't you have a seat, and I'll let him know he has a client?"

"Thank you," Kelly nodded her head, and then proceeded to sit down in what appeared to be the waiting area. She slowly breathed through her nose. This was it. She was about to meet one of her boyfriend's parents. It would have been nice to meet them both at the same time, but again, she hadn't wanted to arrive unexpectedly at their house. The young woman fiddled with the hem of her skirt as she closed her eyes. What was this? Suddenly, she was becoming on edge. Her knee bobbed up and down in rapid succession. This went on for another few minutes before she heard footsteps approach her. Kelly lifted her head and opened her eyes.

"You wanted to see me?" The man standing before her was William Reid. He had a relatively friendly face. He looked somewhat similar to Spencer. However, most would have to be looking for the similarities in order to see them. The man had a wide forehead, or perhaps it only looked that way because had a receding hairline. His eyes were dark, yet dull. It was probably from years, no decades, of working so much. He had dark hair, yet strands of gray were clearly there. "I don't believe we've met before."

Kelly hastily stood up, feeling her cheeks warm. "No, we haven't." She extended her hand in his direction. "My name is Kelly Holloway. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Reid." William gave a polite smile and returned the handshake. Though, his eyebrows did furrow in confusion. "Is it possible to speak with you in private? This is a personal matter." The older Reid looked around before returning his gaze back to her. Finally, he nodded his head, telling her to follow him to his office.

Within moments, the two reached the office. It was spacious to say the least. Having a total of five chairs, one couch, a large desk, two full bookcases, two small tables with lamps on top of them, and a coffee table to boot made it seem as though the man made a lot of money. Hm… Perhaps she should think about writing a book based on a lawyer? Casting that idea aside for now, Kelly sat down on the couch, making herself comfortable while William went over to his desk, gathering up papers and folders. "Sorry about the mess," he said, organizing the items. "I was working on something before you came in."

"No, it's fine," Kelly told him, removing her coat. She placed it beside her and waited for the attorney to finish cleaning up. Once he was finished, he walked over to where she was. Opposite of her sitting form, he sat on one of the leather chairs. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. His hands were clasped together in front of him.

"So," he began. "What can I do for you, Ms. Holloway?"

"Well… This weekend, I'm… _ah_, we—my boyfriend and I—are celebrating his birthday in Vegas. Because of our irregular work schedules, it's hard to plan ahead, but this weekend shouldn't be a problem seeing as he shouldn't have work so soon after finishing another case. I mean, they couldn't possible call on his team so quickly! That being said, I planned this trip here awhile ago just to celebrate his birthday. I haven't planned something like this before and… I'm totally rambling right now, aren't I?" To her embarrassment, William chuckled. He leaned back and his chair. "I guess I'm pretty nervous, after all." Again, Kelly distractedly played with the hem of her skirt.

"It's okay," he said. "You reminded me of my son just now. Though, he never rambled because of nerves." She saw the nostalgia in his eyes, causing her to smile. He had a nice real smile.

"Actually, Mr. Reid… This personal matter I want to discuss with you… involves your son," Kelly stated. A brow lifted after his laughter subsided. "Spencer Reid, your son, is… dating me. I'm his girlfriend." His eyebrows immediately shot up, forming wrinkles on his wide forehead.

"You're his girlfriend?"

"You don't have to sound so shocked, Mr. Reid. After all, your son is amazing," Kelly smiled lightly.

"That's… not it," William murmur. It was clear to the novelist that he was at a loss for words.

"It is because I'm black?"

"What? No!" How cute. The man even had the same high voice when flustered. His cheeks flushed as he averted his gaze for a moment. Kelly supposed that they really were alike. To show that she meant no harm and that she was not offended, the young woman giggled lightly. This seemed to calm the attorney down. "_Uh_… It's really… I know that my son's amazing. It's just not many can see that."

"Many people are fools then," Kelly replied. "I really do like your son, which is why I'm here, Mr. Reid. We didn't get to celebrate on his actual birthday this week due to his work. I already have everything set up. I was just about to leave when I realized that his parents would want to celebrate his birthday as well. I'm sure you almost never see each other. I was hoping at one point, you and Mrs. Reid can show up and surprise him." She rustled through her coat pocket, pulling out a business card. She showed it to William before placing it on the coffee table. "This is the hotel we're staying at this weekend. We're probably leaving Sunday around five. It'd be great if you and your wife can be there."

William reached forward to pick up the small card, but he hesitated, and then leaned back in his chair again. He rubbed his forehead and sighed heavily. That was odd behavior, which lead Kelly to ask if something was wrong. "I take it…" he began. "That Spencer doesn't talk about me much, does it? Or his mother, for that matter?" Eyes closed, he continued to rub his forehead.

"… Not really," Kelly replied. "Then again, Spencer didn't know anything about my family until two weeks before meeting them. And the first time they met was last month."

"He… doesn't know you're here." It wasn't a question, yet the novelist felt the need to answer.

"No, this is supposed to be a surprise," she stated. "I hope you are able to come."

"That isn't possible. I can't," William said.

"Surely, you don't have to work on a Sunday. Please reconsider."

"You don't understand. It's not that I do not want to be there. Rather, it's he doesn't want me there."

"What? Why not?"

"Amongst other things… I left Spencer and his mother when he was just a boy," William told her. Kelly's eyes widened. "My wife and I are separated."

"Separated… but not divorced?"

"…" He sighed again, finally returning his focus to the young woman. "You really don't know anything."

Kelly bit her bottom lip in frustration. His vague way of speaking was really beginning to irk her. Her head tilted down as her eyelids squeezed shut. Still, this was her boyfriend's father. She couldn't very well express her irritation, especially not in the first meeting. "If I don't know anything…" she muttered. "Then please tell me so that I won't remain in the dark." Gradually, she lifted her head and stared at the older man in the eyes, letting him know that she was completely serious. He seemed taken aback, but he slowly nodded his head.

"You seem rather… headstrong, Ms. Holloway. I get the impression that you are the one who approached my boy," William chuckled. And led him into a false sense of security and proceeded to have her way with him on the first night they met, but honestly that was not the best thing to tell her boyfriend's father about. "Alright… Even though you probably shouldn't be hearing this from me… I'll tell you." And he did tell her. Kelly almost wished that he hadn't.

Turns out, she would have that headache on the plane ride back.

0-0

Needless to say, Spencer had been pleasantly surprised with the sudden trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. Although, he hadn't liked the idea of being blindfolded all the way there, and to his birthday surprise. He had complained about it during the entire trip. But once that blindfold was removed—and the earplugs—he had become quite ecstatic. He had become even more excited once she had slipped the VIP guest pass around his neck. The pair of passes had been the added bonus of having the casino screw up the reservations in the first place. To appease Kelly—or rather make her leave in a hurry—they had given her the passes.

Passes to what? Comic-Con, of course. The novelist had had major writer's block the previous month, and as a result she had been searching the internet in hopes of something influencing her. That is when she had stumbled upon the upcoming event. Spencer and his cute expression had immediately come to mind. _I want to see it_, she had thought. And so, she had been aggressive about the whole plan. Her, somewhat violent, actions had been worth it in the end. His stunned, fangasm-like expression was almost too much. Kelly had a hard time restraining herself. Luckily, she had been able to or they would have been banned for indecent exposure.

Anyway, Friday and Saturday had been pretty much been a fun time. From going to various panels, speaking with others fans, browsing through fanart, commenting on costumes, it felt as though they had been through the entire con all in one day. Still, there various other places to go. In fact, they had just returned from the convention.

It was Saturday night and almost 11: 30. Kelly stared at her face, using the bathroom's mirror. An elaborate purple, black, and blue butterfly wing had been painted around her left eye. How on Earth had she been persuaded to get something like this on her face? The novelist poked at her cheek. The paint did not smear. _"It had better come off when I shower,"_ she thought with a frown. Then she smiled. Spencer had called her pretty once the makeup artist was finished. So if it didn't come off tomorrow, she would let it go. _"Anyway, it's time for his second birthday gift!"_

Grabbing the hair tie from the sink's counter, she quickly tied her hair into a high ponytail. Then she made her way over to the door. Upon opening it, she saw that Spencer was still reading the comic book she had bought for him. His gaze was quite intense as his eyes scanned over the pages. Smiling, she walked over to the edge of the bed, which is where her boyfriend sat. "It's good, isn't it?" she asked. His head snapped up, eyes looking in her direction.

"_Ah_, yes. It's surprisingly good even though I haven't watched the series," Spencer replied. His right cheek had a green lightsaber painted there. She had had to beg him to not get his face painted to look like Yoda, so he had settled for the saber. Avid Star Wars fan, indeed.

"Maybe one day, I'll make you watch a marathon with me. _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ was a very popular supernatural television show," Kelly stated. "I'm surprised you never watched it before. This comic-" she pointed to the page he was reading. "-is sure to be just as good because Joss Whedon is one of the writers for this, too. Oh, too bad he wasn't there to give autographs. Anyway, should I pop in the next movie?" The horror movie extravaganza hadn't stopped just because she had 'kidnapped' her boyfriend. In fact, they had watched a Michael Myers film on the plane ride. Despite being blindfolded, Spencer had quite enjoyed listening to it. It was the only time he could remove the earplugs. After they had left the con on Friday to come to their hotel, they had stayed up all night watching more movies.

"We watched them all," Spencer said, eyes moving back to the comic in his hands.

"But what about _Halloween H20_?"

"Irrelevant to the rest of the franchise." He flipped the page. A nervous grin stretched on Kelly's face. She really should have seen that indifferent answer coming.

"Then… should I give you more presents?" she asked. Spencer looked up again, eyebrows furrowed. "Close your eyes. It's a surprise."

"That seems a bit unnecessary seeing as how I'm going to see the gift in less than ten seconds," he replied.

"Spencer, just do it," Kelly said, covering his eyes with the palm of hand. He sighed. The novelist smiled, and then removed her hand. His eyelids were indeed shut. The woman reached into her hotel robe's pocket, pulling out her boyfriend's second gift. Her smile widened, watching the gift glint in the lamp's light. Kelly slipped the silver chain around his neck. As a reflex, Spencer's hand reached up to touch the cool material. He opened his eyes, too. "Hey, I didn't say you could look!"

"Couldn't help it," Spencer said, looking down. He was staring at what was dangling from the chain. His light brown eyes shifted back to hers. "The key to your heart? I didn't think you were so… amorous." Kelly actually laughed.

"Don't be silly! Look closer," she told him. He did, studying the key with his eyes and hands. Finally, recognition showed. Surprised, he opened his mouth. "Yes, it's the key to my house." Kelly dropped down to her knees. Her hand pressed against the silver key, pushing it against his chest. "You can come anytime you want to. I don't even have to be there. It is closer to your workplace than your home, so you can stop by whenever."

"Ke-Kelly… I… don't know what to say. I-"

"I've made you speechless? I've achieved a great feat then, huh?" The two shared a laugh. "Do you like it?"

"Of course," Spencer flushed, focusing turning back to the key. Kelly cupped his cheek before kissing his nose. "You trust me so much."

"Yes," she whispered. Another kiss was given; this time to his lips. "I have another present for you."

"What?"

Kelly stood up again, untying her robe. Slowly, she let the white robe fall from her body. Expectedly, Spencer's chin dropped. The comic book even fell to the ground. It was something she had heard from Jessica. Her best friend had done it back before she and Ji Hyuk were engaged. Apparently, her best friend's boyfriend had loved it. She had done it for him on Valentine's Day, though, and she had wrapped her entire upper body in red ribbon. Kelly, however, was a bit lazier than that. Instead, she had bought sexy black lingerie to wear under the single lavender colored ribbon. There was a sash going around her breasts with a bow tied in the back. Another sash had been hanging loosely around her hips. The bow was placed at her right hip. Kelly had not gone through the elaborate way Jessica had apparently done. It was irritating just getting the ribbon around her breasts.

"_Um_… Do you like it?" Kelly asked, feeling her cheeks warm under Spencer's unwavering gaze. "You could unwrap me if you'd like."

"Like it?" The genius hastily stood up from the edge of the bed. His hands came down on her shoulders. Kelly blinked, startled by his behavior. "Everything you've done for me for my birthday… No one has ever done. I love it." He gave her a quick kiss. "Thank you. Really, this was the best birthday celebration I've had in a long time." The woman didn't think she would feel so thrilled by hearing those words. But surprisingly, that is exactly what she felt. The feeling only increased when he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her body against his. "Can I…?" Kelly nodded her head. Her eyelids fluttered shut, feeling his palms slide up her torso as he gave her a flurry of kisses. Perhaps deep down inside, Spencer Reid liked this sort of concept.

He seemed way too excited about receiving his third gift.

It was some time later that Kelly awoke from her slumber. Generally, she was a deep sleeper. Unless it was time for her to get up, then she would stay asleep. However, here she was, awake, in the earliest hours of the morning. Glowing red numbers seemed to glare right back at her. 4:03, is what it read. Her gaze scanned the room through blurry eyes. It was almost completely dark. Huh. She must have left the bathroom light on. The novelist yawned, recalling why she had woken in the first place. Her stomach… Kelly lifted the cover and looked down. Spencer had been hidden by the bedspread. His head rested on her torso, while his thumb caressed her stomach area, more specifically around her navel. How long had he been doing this?

Shifting, the woman lightly touched the back of her boyfriend's neck. She then stroked at his skin. "Spencer, are you sleeping?" she asked.

"No," came the reply. "I couldn't sleep."

"Oh? Does your body ache? It has been awhile since we've gone that long and hard." Kelly didn't have to see his face to realize that he was blushing.

"N-No, that's not why," Spencer said. His girlfriend chuckled, sliding her fingers up through his hair.

"Why then?"

"I didn't… have a very good dream."

"One of _those_ dreams again?" Kelly frowned, stopping her touch for a moment. She didn't like it when he had those dreams—dreams related to his work, but she did her best to console him. "You want to tell me about it again?" She felt his head shake.

"No, I mean, it wasn't that type of dream." Spencer seemed hesitant on telling her. "Rather… I dreamt of you… in bed with another man."

Movement from Kelly completely stopped. Even her legs, intertwined with his, halted. It took half a minute before she moved again. "What?" she exclaimed, abruptly moving to sit up. Spencer lifted his head, yet his eyes were elsewhere. Kelly turned her body, hand reaching for the lamp beside the bed. She then turned her attention back to her boyfriend once the room was illuminated. He wouldn't give an explanation. "Spencer…!" Still, he wouldn't speak. "Spencer! Tell me why you suddenly doubt my loyalty! I would _never_!"

"It's… not sudden. For awhile now-"

"For _awhile_? What have I done to make you think I would _cheat_ on you?" Kelly interrupted.

"No, nothing—it's-"

"It's?"

"It's you… It's me."

"… I don't understand."

Spencer sighed heavily, furiously rubbing his forehead. He sat up, opposite of Kelly. "You're so much better, and yet you're with me. You, a woman like you, can have any man you want, but you choose to stay with someone like me. At the beginning, I thought about this, but I thought I was lucky. Now that I know you better, am I really a person you should be with? That's what I have been thinking. You could… become bored with me and seek another out—someone better. Even when we're out on dates, I notice other guys watching you, not trying to hide what they think. I'm out of your league."

"League?" Kelly repeated. Spencer nodded, blushing. However, it wasn't the cute blush she was familiar with. He appeared to be embarrassed, but sad as well. Realization finally dawned on the novelist. She almost couldn't believe it. Her boyfriend was insecure about their relationship. "For a genius, you just said some pretty dumb things." His eyes sharply turned to her. His eyebrows knitted together. "There's no such thing as a league when it comes to relationships. It's something high school kids made up so that they would have a better chance at dating whoever they were interested in by monopolizing. Only cheerleaders could date football players or any other athlete—that's bullshit!" Realizing she was getting upset, Kelly lowered her voice a bit. "You said I could have any man I want, but you're questioning my decision to be with you? Isn't that a contradiction?"

"Kelly-"

"Spencer!" His mouth immediately shut. "Even if there came a time where I 'become bored' of you, I _wouldn't_ cheat on you. I would never cheat on a person I was with. No matter what, I refuse to do what my father did to my mom. And you should know that. It's true that other guys look at me when we're out, but my eyes are on you—_only_ on you!" Kelly reached out to touch his face. However, her fingers curled in just before making contact. Her teeth clenched as she dropped her arm. "I'm so mad now."

"What? I didn't mean to make you upset. I'm sorry," Spencer's words came out in a rush. He shifted awkwardly on the bed, turning his focus to the wall instead of her. Kelly actually glared at him. Without warning, she tackled his body, forcing his back against the bed. "Kelly, what-"

"If sorry was enough, do you think the police would be necessary?" she questioned, gripping his wrists. His guilty expression wasn't enough to quell her increased heartbeat. "Doubting my loyalty towards you makes me angry. Make it up to me. You have to make it up to me."

"H-How…?" He sounded breathless. "Pun-Punishment?"

"Why is hope in your voice?" Blushing, he turned his head to the left. She released his wrists. "I see… You'd like that, wouldn't you? To be punished?" Kelly sat up on top of him, legs straddling his body. "Spencer… I know you can't control your dreams, but… please don't doubt my loyalty." She squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't want to live like my father. I don't want to hurt you the way he hurt my mother. I'm not my father. I'm not him!" The profiler slowly sat up. When his palm touched her face, Kelly opened her eyes.

"I've never seen you like this…" Spencer whispered. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry." His other hand reached up, cupping her cheek. "I won't do it again. I won't doubt you." Kelly pressed her forehead against his, once again shutting her eyelids. "But I have to know, Kelly. What were you doing Wednesday afternoon? You told me you were talking with Jessica, but she isn't in the country yet. You lied…"

"I did… I did lie," Kelly admitted. "I was here in Las Vegas, getting reservations to this hotel. Something happened with my other reservations, so I had to change them. I was already pissed and frustrated when you called. I'm sorry I lied. I didn't want you to get any hint about what I was doing since you're, like, a genius or something."

"Or something," he chuckled. For a moment, the room was silent. Then Kelly spoke again.

"I won't-" She placed her arms around him, pulling him into her embrace. "-become bored with you, you know. You're too weird, after all." Spencer returned her embrace, pressing his face against her neck. "Though, I don't have room to talk." He pulled back a bit and shook his head.

"You're not weird," he said.

"Don't lie," Kelly murmured. "All great writers are weird."

"Are you sure it isn't hubris?"

"That, too."

Kelly didn't know how long they stayed in this position, but eventually they returned to their horizontal positions. Again, their limbs became entangled. They lied, facing each other, heads on the same pillow. Spencer shifted his head just a bit closer. Their lips were mere centimeters apart. "_Uh_… About what you said before… About not having a monopoly on me…"

"Your eyes are your own. If you think this Ashley chick is pretty, I'm not going to-"

"No, no, I got that. It's-" Spencer cleared his throat. "Do I have to feel the same about you?"

"What?"

"I mean… what if I wanted to… have a monopoly on your eyes?" Spencer asked. Kelly blinked in surprise. "Sorry, that's selfish. I shouldn't have asked." The woman let out a snicker.

"Spencer, you already have control of my eyes. Like I said before, I only see you," she told him, pressing her forehead against his again. "But if you ever flirt with another woman, then I draw the line!"

"Of course, of course! I wouldn't!"

"Good," Kelly replied, smiling. She closed her eyes, preparing to drift off to sleep. She felt her boyfriend shift his body, but thought nothing of it.

"_Uh_, Kelly…" He cleared his throat several times.

"_Hm_…?" She didn't bother to open her eyes. Spencer, once again, cleared his throat.

"Maybe I shouldn't bring this up, but…" His body moved again, which caused Kelly to finally open her eyes. He had that nervous blush on his face again. "_Ah_… I haven't been punished yet," he rushed his sentence and squeezed his eyes shut.

"… You are such a perv, Spencer," Kelly laughed out.

He merely gave a sheepish smile.

0-0

He was doing it again. This hadn't been the first time she had caught him doing it either. Recently, Kelly would be awakened by his touch. From his thumb and his lips. First, he would gently slide his thumb between her eyebrows, and then he could kiss her lips. He still didn't realize that she was awake the entire time. She had to force herself not to smile as he pulled away, only to repeat his actions. The woman let him do it a few more times before she pretended to wake from her slumber. Expectedly, Spencer reared back and pretended he hadn't been doing anything besides lying beside her. Still, he couldn't hide his almost guilty expression. Covering a yawn, Kelly turned on her side, facing him. "Good morning," she greeted.

"Actually, its two hours and twenty-three minutes pass noon," Spencer corrected.

"What?" Kelly immediately sat upright. It was then she noticed that her boyfriend was fully clothed and not under the covers with her. Sunlight streamed through the open window. "Why didn't you wake me?" She untangled her body from the sheets and scurried towards the bathroom. Slamming the door shut, she almost didn't hear his response. Apparently, she was a deep sleeper. The novelist sighed. That was true. "But what about the rest of the con?" she asked, unzipping her bag. Hurriedly, she pulled out underwear and a clean outfit.

"I thought that maybe we could just… hang out here," Spencer called through the door. Kelly removed the hair tie from her hair as she turned the shower on. She then turned towards the mirror. Grimacing, she rubbed at her skin. The paint _had_ smeared, and he had seen her this way. Damn…

"Why? Don't tell me you really didn't like the surprise?"

"No! I did! I thought maybe we could spend time with each other without a lot of people around."

Kelly blinked, turning towards the closed door. He was choosing her over the con… Her boyfriend really did know how to put a smile on her face. "Okay!" she called to him. "Give me some time to get ready!" A sound of agreement reached her ears. After she had showered and dressed, Kelly exited the bathroom to find Spencer sitting down on the bed, book in hand. He had already made up the bed spread, too. "What are you reading?" she asked, sitting down across from him. She folded her legs and leaned forward a bit, aiming to see a few sentences.

"It's one of your older novels," Spencer replied. "Your second one, in fact."

"Why do you have _that_?" Kelly almost shouted. Out of all her published books, that one was her least popular.

"_Spin_ is my favorite," he answered, turning his gaze to her. "The elements you put in here are amazing. I can follow along so easily." He closed the book and set it aside. Spencer didn't need bookmarks for he could just remember the last place he was. "I like going back and reading this."

"_Hm_…" Kelly crossed her arms.

"Speaking of your books, I spotted your latest one. Your picture was on the back," Spencer continued. "I thought you didn't want your readers to know who you were."

"_I_ did! But my _editor_ had her own plans!" Kelly huffed. She sighed heavily. "She's probably going to make me do book signings and talk shows now…"

"You sound so miserable."

"Of course! None of my fans are normal." She sighed again. "This was probably her plan all along."

"What do you mean?"

"That's not really important now," Kelly stated with a smile. "It's still your weekend, Spencer. What do you want to do?"

So for the next few hours, the two spent their time in the hotel room, simply talking and enjoying one another's company. When it came time to leave, they almost didn't want to. It was rare to have so much time with each other. "Should we go now?" Spencer asked. Despite the question, he did not move from his position on top of Kelly. She rolled her eyes, but smiled. His cheek was pressed against her chest, gaze on the clock's red numbers. Hands touching her sides, his thumbs rubbed against her shirt.

"Funny you should ask seeing as how _you're_ on top of _me_," Kelly murmured. Spencer lifted his head. "But seriously, we should get going. We might miss our taxi." She removed her fingers from his hair and unwrapped her legs from his. "You remember to pack everything?" He laughed at her joke, causing the novelist to grin. Finally, the genius rolled away from her body to stand up. She moved to do the same. As their bags had already been packed, all they had to do was put on their shoes and leave the room. Spencer turned off all the lights and picked up their coats as Kelly grabbed their bags and the room key. They met at the door. He opened the door for her as he took his bag from her shoulder. _"Despite the trouble, this weekend was great!" _Kelly thought, walking alongside her boyfriend.

Upon reaching the elevator, the two were lucky enough to have the doors open right away. They entered, dropping their bags to put on their coats. "Again, thanks for doing this, Kelly," Spencer spoke up. "All of it." He cleared his throat. "I… I want to do something like this for your birthday next year."

"You don't have to," Kelly replied. She picked up her bag again. Then she smirked, giving him a sideways glance. "But if you do, add a bell. A silver one would do nicely."

"A silver bell? What are you-" Spencer must have noticed the naughty look in his girlfriend's eyes. His cheeks reddened considerably. "_Kelly_…!" The novelist merely laughed out, amused by his reaction. It was so fun to tease the genius. The elevator reached the lobby floor, and so the doors opened again. Both she and Spencer had to walk sideways because of the oncoming passengers. There were a lot of them, too. As they passed, Kelly heard excited conversations about the con.

"_Hm_…"

"What are you thinking about?" Spencer questioned.

"My next book," Kelly answered. "Should I do a fantasy one? This weekend has given me all sorts of ideas." An excited squeal came from the front desk. "Oh no…" She had totally forgotten about him. Still, she and Spencer walked over to the large desk.

"Are you really writing a fant-"

"Okay, I'm not answering your questions again. Just let me check out," she interrupted his spree of questions. Matthew seemed quite disappointed while Spencer covered a grin. He then kissed her cheek and announced that he was going to see if the taxi was outside, taking both bags with him.

"That's your boyfriend?" Matthew questioned. "But-"

"What of it?" Kelly frowned.

"No-Nothing… I just thought he would be… bigger—someone that's-"

"There's nothing wrong with his physical appearance. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't insult my boyfriend to my face."

"So-Sorry! That's not what I—I meant no harm!" He hastily gave the receipt. "Have a good day, Ms. Kane. Can't wait for your next book."

"_Hm_…" Kelly took the receipt and walked towards the front door. She pushed it open, noticing Spencer standing right outside. The bags were dropped at his side. "Hey," she walked forward. "What's…" Trailing off, she saw what had her boyfriend standing rigid. "Wrong?" She, too, became frozen at the sight. Seeing her, the man stepped towards them. He actually waved.

"Son," he greeted. "I'm glad I managed to catch you."

"Dad?" Spencer returned. He swallowed hard. "Wh-What are you doing here?"

"I was, uh, persuaded to come see you." William Reid extended his hand. He held a small black box to his son. "Happy Birthday." Slowly, the genius reached out to accept it. It was almost as if he wasn't conscious of the action. His arm returned to his side, not taking his gaze from his father.

"Persuaded by whom, if I may ask?" Spencer finally asked. William smiled and set his sights on Kelly. The younger Reid followed his line of sight. "Y-You told him?" For some reason, the novelist felt anxious. She hesitantly nodded her head, turning her eyes to the ground.

"Since we were here, I thought your parents could-"

"This was a surprise for her, too," William explained. "I just bought your gift." He tapped his son on the shoulder twice, still smiling. "I'm glad I could give it to you."

"Yeah…" Somehow, Spencer's voice was different. Kelly glanced at him, but she couldn't see his face. "Our taxi's here, so we have to go." His father turned. Sure enough, a single taxi was there. The driver honked the horn. The young profiler lowered to pick up the bags.

"Oh right. I don't mean to hold you up," William stepped out of the way. "Spencer, you have a fine woman." His son didn't respond. He only moved towards the taxi at a quick pace. The older man sighed heavily, watching him go.

"Why did you come here, Mr. Reid?" Kelly asked. He, again, shifted his focus to the novelist. "After what you told me-"

"You made me want to see him," he answered. "Though, it appears he's still…" Another sigh came forth. "Well, at least he took the birthday present. Pleasure seeing you again, Ms. Holloway." William appeared as though he was about to walk away. However, he halted and turned back to her. "Take care of my boy."

"_Ah_… _Hm_," Kelly nodded her head. With another wave, the older man walked in the opposite direction of where his son had gone. The woman grimaced, watching him go. What was this feeling that suddenly came over her? It was as though he joy had been swallowed up. Shaking it off for now, she moved towards the vehicle that was supposed to take them back to the airport. Spencer had already placed their bags in the trunk and had got in the backseat of the taxi. His gaze was focused outside the window. He didn't acknowledge her presence even after she had closed the door. "The airport, please," Kelly told the driver as she strapped herself in with the seatbelt.

0-0

What was this—this strange atmosphere she was unaccustomed to feeling? Things had become awkward between them. Spencer hadn't talked to her during the entire trip. Even now, outside his apartment building, he chose to remain silent. Without a word, he opened the door and got out. Frowning, though she had been doing it for awhile, Kelly stepped out of the taxi as well, telling the driver to hold on. He, in turned, told her that he was still running the meter. The genius was already pulling his bag out of the trunk of the car when she approached him. "Hey, is there-" He slammed the trunk close, and then briskly walked away. Kelly couldn't believe it. He was seriously ignoring her. On the plan ride, she hadn't initiated conversation, so she hadn't known until this point. Quickly, she rushed after him. "Spencer!" She grabbed a hold of his arm before he could open the door. "What's gotten into you? Why aren't you talking to me?"

"I have a lot on my mind," he muttered, shrugging her off.

"So much that you can't even say goodbye to me?" she narrowed her eyes. Spencer didn't speak. "Answer me! Is this about your father?" Finally, he turned to face her.

"Why would you think that?" he asked.

"Because you started acting this way after we met him! Was it wrong to tell him you were in town celebrating your birthday? He's your dad!"

"That's-" His jaw clenched, and so did his fist. Spencer averted his stare for a brief second. "Judging from your reaction when he stated that you contacted him, I knew that he shared more than just baby pictures with you." His rushed sentence caused Kelly to bite her lower lip. "What did he tell you? How much do you know?" The woman swallowed hard. Her chest felt heavy.

"He told me why he and your mother couldn't… meet with you," she mumbled.

"My mother…" Spencer's voice trembled. "He told you about her?" Kelly could only nod her head. "So let me get this straight. You found my dad with little no information, interrogated him, and forced to meet me? Do you know what that sounds like?"

"I thought it would make you happy."

"_Happy_? Kelly, I—the last time I saw him, I accused him of being a murderer and a pedophile rapist! We're not exactly on good terms!" Spencer stated. Well, she hadn't known that when she met him, but he didn't seem to want to give her enough time to explain. "You… You had no right to seek him out. You had no right to try to speak with my parents."

"No right?" Kelly repeated. Her expression turned angry. "No _right_? You never talk about them in the first place! What was I _supposed_ to do? What was I supposed to _think_?" Her voice had risen with every word. "I don't have the right? I have _every_ right! I'm your girlfriend, _aren't_ I?"

"Being my girlfriend doesn't mean you can pry into my past! If that's the case when it comes to relationships then-" Spencer turned away from her. "Then maybe you shouldn't have that title," he said. Kelly's eyes expanded. She stood there, stunned into silence. No, rather, she couldn't talk. Her airway felt as though it was closing. Or maybe it was some type of lump forming in her throat. Whatever it was, it prevented her from speaking. No matter how many times her mouth had moved, there were no words. Finally, her gaze lowered to the cement ground. He hadn't taken it back. He had really meant it. Kelly swallowed, forcing the lump down until she couldn't feel it anymore.

"I see," she said. The woman took on an apathetic expression. She turned away, heading towards the taxi. "Then please," she called to him. "Remove me from that title. Completely." Kelly opened the door and got in. She didn't bother to put on a seatbelt this time. "Drive."

"Are you-?"

"Drive," she repeated in the same tone. Her arms crossed as the vehicle was shifted out of park. Kelly turned her indifferent gaze outside the window, barely blinking as the sights blurred past her. To her, it felt that she had arrived home in only a few short minutes. The cash was given to the driver of the taxi before she got out of the car. The man had already popped the trunk. She pulled her bag out, and then lowered the trunk's top. She slapped it a few times, signaling that she was finished with the business transaction, and so the taxi pulled off, leaving her on the sidewalk.

Kelly clutched her coat tighter around her body as she walked towards her front door. It was a lot colder here than it had been in Vegas. Perhaps it was because of the harsh wind. The woman reached into her pocket, pulling out her set of keys. She fumbled with the keys for a moment before finding the right one. Once the door was open, she moved inside. A sigh escaped her lips after the door closed behind her. "Damn, I left the heat off," she murmured, kicking off her shoes. Yawning, she moved further into the house, coming to a halt in front of the thermostat. Sure enough, the heat was off. Apparently, it was sixty-three degrees in the house. Kelly sighed again as she turned on the heat. She would have to wait awhile until the entire house was room temperature.

Still, she could always wait for the heat to return under the comforts of her blankets. Nodding her head, she removed the bag's strap from her shoulder, and then the coat. She was tired, anyway. It had been a long trip back. Kelly yawned again as she entered her room. Removing clothes would take time and energy, so she opted to just climb in bed. However, she did not avoid the bed's front leg as she moved to lie down. "FUCK!" Kelly squeezed her eyes shut as she sat on the edge of her bed. "God damn it!" The pain was enough to cause tears. Waiting for the pain to subside, the woman glared down at her foot. It was too bad the pain didn't go away after a few moments. Tears continued to fall, dripping down her chin. "It hurts!" Her hands moved to quell the pain. "It hurts so much!" She didn't seem to realize that what she held on to was not her stubbed toe. Rather, it was her chest.

There was so much pain there.

0-0


	6. Break

"FBI!"

With a loud bang, Morgan kicked open the door. Five minutes prior, Garcia had given the team the address to the unsub's home. It just so happened that Reid and Morgan were the closest, having been riding around actually looking for the unsub. The others were still out on the road, coming in for backup. However, it would take them, at least, twenty minutes to get here from the police station. Thirty minutes for Rossi and Seaver because they had gone to the dumpsite before the time of the call. It was dangerous to go in by themselves, but they were running out of time. Based on the profile, today was the day the unsub would get rid of the excess baggage. They had to move quickly in order to save the latest victim.

Move quickly, they did. Reid had a hard time keeping up with his coworker. In fact, with each step he took, it seemed as though Morgan shifted ten steps. Reid's fingers gripped his revolver as he watched his team member climb the stairs. It was no point if both of them went in the same direction. They could cover more ground if they went separate ways. Cautiously, the profiler moved through the house, listening for any sound that could be an indicator of where the unsub or victim could be. There were no sounds. Not even the floor creaked under Morgan's footsteps.

Reid slowly pushed open the swinging down that lead to the kitchen. He frowned. The team had profiled that the unsub would have a normal outward appearance. Every room he had entered appeared that way. The kitchen, though, seemed a bit off. There were too many sharp things. Of course there were knives, but there were multiples scissors lying about. Also, there were tools, which should have been placed elsewhere, scattered on the tiled floor. He must have been close.

Sure enough, there was an extra door, most likely leading to the basement. Reid glanced at the door, which led outside. There was no shed or woods that the unsub could hide in. Though it was night, there was still enough light to see a person dragging a victim around in the backyard. It would be too risky for the unsub to move because of the neighbors. Swallowing, Reid moved towards the door. It had already been open. He began his descent, feeling the walls for a light switch. He couldn't find one, so he pulled out his flashlight.

From what he could tell, the lower floor appeared to be a normal basement. Then again, he was still on the stairs. Finally, he reached the floor. He shifted his gun and flashlight around. The small light was adequate enough to Reid to make out the white washing machine and dryer. They had been side by side against the far wall. Opposite of that wall, there were shackles nailed into the wall—four of them for the ankles and wrists. They were far apart, indicating that the unsub kept the victims' hands above their heads, so that there would be no escape. He was definitely in the right place. But there were no signs of a victim being here. There should have been blood based on the condition the past victims were found in. It had been messy, yet there wasn't a drop of blood that he could see.

Suddenly, he heard a noise. It sounded too close. Reid sharply turned, only to have his gun and flashlight knocked from his hands by a well-aimed kick. The flashlight went out upon impact with the ground. He was completely blind now. Mentally, the profiler kicked himself. He knew the unsub was athletic, which is how the victims were easily subdued. He should have made contact with Morgan before going into the basement. His attempt to dash to the stairs was quickly thwarted another kick, this time to the torso. Reid coughed out as his back slammed against the wall. In pain, but not out of it, he tried to move again. However, the unsub, again, was faster and rushed over. It only took the feeling of a cold blade pressed to his cheek to cause the profiler to become paralyzed. It wasn't enough to draw blood, but the slow way the tip of the blade moved down his cheek and to his neck caused Reid's blood to run cold. His heart was going faster than it should be, too. It didn't help that it was completely dark.

The unsub gripped his wrist, forcing it above his head. Reid swallowed hard as his wrist was kept in place by the shackle. His other wrist had been done in the same manner. "You… You don't have to do this," he managed to speak. His words were met with silence. The knife was pressed harder against his skin. Still, it wasn't enough to pierce. Reid squeezed his eyes shut. Stabbing was the unsub's method of not only killing but torturing, too. This was not looking well. There was a whole floor separating him from Morgan. His guess was that it would take his coworker a full two minutes to search the house until he came upon the basement. In addition, perhaps Morgan would think to look elsewhere because it was pitch black down here. He couldn't even see the unsub's face. He could attempt to call out, but the unsub could panic and begin the stabbing. Reid didn't want that. However, he could still attempt to talk his way out of the situation. Maybe Morgan would hear. "You-"

A hand had covered his mouth, preventing him from speaking. Well, there goes that plan. Then Reid furrowed his eyebrows. This feeling was strange. Rather, the hand size was strange. The unsub was supposed to be a white male in his late thirties, who almost constantly worked out due to his narcissist personality. His hand should be _bigger_—not small as this. Also, the height difference was noticeable even in the dark. Reid was taller than this person. Slowly, the hand was removed from his mouth. There was still the danger of the knife. Now that he thought about it, the impulsions of the unsub wouldn't have allowed him to _not_ stab Reid as soon as he got the chance. This was too strange. It was when the person's body pressed against his did the profiler realize. A woman. And she was scared.

"You're his victim, aren't you?" Reid questioned. "My name is Dr. Spencer Reid. I'm with the FBI. I'm here to help you. Don't be afraid. What's your name?" His spoke in a soft voice as to not startle the victim. She had already reacted violently against him. She didn't say a word, but the knife was removed. Reid heard the sound of the blade impacting with the ground. Good. He licked his lips. "If you could just let me go, I'll take you to safety. I promise I won't let anything else happen to you." The woman didn't state her name. She didn't speak at all. "I can-"

"As if I'd let any man control me," the woman cut him off. Her voice didn't sound very afraid. It definitely didn't seem as though she had been held against her will for days on end. All ten of her digits slid down his vest, and then roughly unstrapped the Velcro. She lifted his Kevlar vest and let it drop to the floor. Reid swallowed hard, not fully understanding what was going on. Without warning, his shirt was ripped open down the middle. A few buttons fell to the floor. Reid shuddered, feeling the chill of the basement against his exposed skin.

"What are you-?"

His lips were suddenly crushed under the weight of her lips. The hard kiss caused his eyes to snap open. This was too shocking of behavior to be a victim. But the profile didn't mention anything about a second unsub. Could she have been so well hidden that the team wouldn't have guessed a partner? Narcissist personalities tended to work by themselves, and definitely wouldn't listen to the commands of another, especially a woman. Was the profile wrong then? The unsub was simply being controlled by this woman—by this manipulator.

Her fingers slid over his right nipple, causing Reid to involuntarily gasp. He sharply turned his head away, breaking the kiss. The woman merely chuckled, moving her hard kisses down. From his neck to his chest, her kisses became gentler. The genius shuddered again, feeling her tongue glide over his nipple. "_Ah_…!" Reid squeezed his eyes shut again. He tried to fight against the iron binds, but it proved to be useless. The offender continued to molest him with her tongue and hands. She reared back a bit only to blow her warm breath against his skin. The tip of her tongue flicked his hardened nipple, inciting a squeak to come forth. "St-Stop! _Nng_! Th-This-"

Another hard kiss cut off his protest again. This time, Reid turned his head away quickly. However, the female unsub roughly grabbed his jaw and chin, snapping his head back to its original spot. She didn't seem to take too kindly to his attempt at denying her. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, forcibly playing with his own. Again, he struggled, trying to push her away with his body alone. "_Haah_…" She released his mouth, moaning again. Perhaps that wasn't such a good idea. She chuckled again, and then began nibbling at his neck. Switching back and forth between nibbling and kissing, the woman lowered her hand to his midsection. She tugged at his belt buckle, silently telling him what was to come. Her hand shifted lower, slowly caressing him through his pants. That's when Reid weakly protested something that made the offender stop all together. She even backed away from him. "You… know?"

"Wh-What?"

"You said 'Not here, Kelly.' Is it a conditioned response now?"

A clicking noise reached his ears. Suddenly, the entire basement was lit up, revealing Reid's ex-girlfriend. She showed an open mouth smirk. She wore a black tank top and black shorts. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, yet her bangs still partially covered her right eye. "Ke-Kelly? Why are you-?" She stepped forward again, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"How'd you know?" she asked, pressing her body against his again. Reid had to swallow the gasp. Kelly had no qualms with exciting him further by rubbing her thigh against his crotch. "Was it my voice? Did you recognize it subconsciously and that's why you weakly fought back, _hm_?" Her nose bumped against his. "Or maybe it was my kiss. You must have thought 'there's no other person who would kiss me like that,' right?" She planted a firm kiss to his chin. "_Ah_, I know. It was my touch, wasn't it? Was it the way your body trembled under my fingertips like an addict's whenever his drug's within reach?"

"Kelly, let me go," Reid whispered.

"…" She frowned. Turning her head away, she sighed. Then she removed her arms. "That's not going to happen." The woman pulled a Glock 19 from behind her back. Reid recognized it because that type of gun had been his sidearm for a number of years. He swallowed hard as Kelly pointed the gun at him. "Because… you deserve this, don't you? Deserve to feel debased, humiliated, and pissed off… just like me."

"Kelly, please-"

The gun went off.

0-0

Reid woke up with such a start that he literally fell off the couch. Groaning, he rolled over and sat up, back pressed against the couch. He closed his eyes and sighed out. This was getting ridiculous. Reaching up, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. All the dreams he had in his REM state, those are the only ones he remembered vividly. They were never the same situations either. However, each time she appeared, he would end up having a bullet to the heart. Granted, he always woke up before death—and even pain—could come. But it was still disturbing. He had been having these dreams for weeks now. Ever since…

_Remove me from that title. Completely._

How could he have been so idiotic? Reid gripped the front of his hair, letting out a frustrated groan. He squeezed his eyes shut. He had hurt her, and now the guilt was eating him away through his dreams. His dream Kelly was right. He did deserve this mental torture.

"Reid…?" His eyes snapped open. The genius lifted his gaze to see the concerned expression of Emily Prentiss. "Are you okay? I've been calling you."

"What? No, I'm, _uh_—I'm fine," he answered. He picked himself up off the floor of the jet and sat back down on the couch. The profiler glanced out of the window. It was night, yet they hadn't made it back yet. "Sorry, did I wake you?" He took a glance at Morgan. He could have been either awake or asleep. However, because he had on his headphones, he wouldn't have heard his fall. Emily shook her head. "You can't sleep?"

"I guess not," she mumbled. "What about you? Have a nightmare? You did graciously fall off the couch just now." Instead of chuckling along with her, Reid frowned and averted his gaze. He muttered something Emily couldn't hear. "Reid…?"

"No, it's nothing," he said. It was obviously something. "_Uh_, I'm going back to sleep. Wake me when we get there." Before lying back down, Reid grabbed his pillow from the floor. It wasn't one of those pillows that the jet came equipped with. It was his own personal pillow that he had started bringing along with him a couple months back. The young genius shifted on his side, hugging the white pillow close to him. Emily narrowed her eyes. Although his sleeping position was no longer unusual, there was something different about it as of late.

Emily inaudibly sighed, recalling the beginnings of her working with this team. As it turns out, she couldn't sleep then either. Being with new people, her body had refused to sleep peacefully because of it. It was a habit. But it was because of that habit that Emily knew her team's sleeping patterns. Morgan usually slept in a chair. Sometimes his feet would be propped up. Sometimes he could fall asleep to the sound of his music. JJ, although she wasn't here at the moment, tended to fall asleep doing paperwork or going over other cases. More than likely, she would use the paper as a pillow. Rossi, too, slept in a chair, fingers clasped together in front of him. Seaver, the new girl, slept curled up in a chair with her jacket draped over her, something Rossi did before he fell asleep. Hotch… Did Hotch sleep?

The female profiler peeked over her own chair. Towards the back of the jet, the leader of the team seemed to be quite focused on the documents in his hand. Either he could sleep with his eyes open, or Hotch was a robot. Chuckling to herself, Emily turned back around. Her gaze settled on Reid again. Then, there was the profiler genius of the team. Out of everyone, his sleeping patterns had changed the most. When Emily had first joined the team, he had slept on his back most of the time. Other times, his legs were curled, as well as his arms, as he slept on his side. Gradually, that had changed. He no longer slept on his back at all. His legs didn't curl either. Then, his sleeping position had changed again, but not in an obvious way. His arms' positions had changed. He used his right arm as a cushion for his head and the other arm rested against his stomach. Then he had begun to bring his own pillow. He had used it like it was a stuffed animal.

Emily closed her eyes, resting her head on the palm of her head. His sleeping positions must have something to do with Reid's girlfriend. That was the conclusion she had reached. To accommodate her, the genius slept differently. Once he became used to sleeping with another person, Reid could only fall asleep with her or something else at his side, hence the pillow he had brought from home. Looking at him now, Emily couldn't help but to think something had changed again. Reid didn't hold the pillow as though it were a stuffed animal. He clutched the pillow as though it were a lifeline. Also, his facial expression wasn't at all relaxed. It was as if something was bothering him. And that something must be because of the new lady in his life. What was her coworker anxious about? It had been almost a year, right?

Admittedly, she was worried. Emily wondered if anyone realized Reid's change in behavior. He didn't seem as focused as he usually was. He only spoke if spoken to, and even then, he didn't ramble. That was highly unusual. In addition, she had noticed him rubbing and pulling at the part of his shirt that covered his chest as if he were fiddling with something underneath it. He did so whenever there was a quiet moment, looking as though he were deep in thought. Emily wanted to ask him, but she knew from experience that prying into his personal life led to Reid's anger. Inaudibly, she released a sigh.

"_Maybe I'm thinking about this too much,"_ she thought. After all, there were some secrets that she had kept hidden from the team about her past life. Reid's life was his business. If he wanted to talk about it, then she would let him know that she always had an open ear. Hopefully, that would be enough.

0-0

It was another day at the BAU. Another long day for Spencer Reid. He had fallen back into his routine of staying later than others. Not Hotch. That man was still the reigning champion—on the team—of staying at his desk all night. Reid rubbed his forehead with his free hand as his eyes blinked in rapid succession. He tried to focus entirely on what he was writing. Generally, it worked. It was here, at his desk, which he could be at peace. He didn't dream or daydream of _her_ when he was at work. He didn't have to force himself to stay awake when he was at his desk.

Still, there were times. Like now. Every so often his eyes would glance at his cell phone, which was set on his desk face up. He would stare for a full minutes before realizing what he was doing. Waiting for a call, waiting for a chance to hear from her—Reid knew he was torturing himself by doing so. It had been weeks. She wouldn't call or text him anymore. He had been supposed to delete her contact information. Somehow, he couldn't. The profiler squeezed his eyes shut, turning away from the cell phone. Couldn't or wouldn't…? Really, there was no certain answer. At least, not at the moment.

"_Ah_! Goodie, you're still here!"

Reid lifted his head to see the blond technical analyst of the team strolling over to his desk with a bright pink smile, showing off her pearly whites. It was always nice seeing Penelope Garcia. Even if she had a bizarre, usually bright, wardrobe. She generally sensed if something was wrong and tried her best to 'liven things up.' Though they would butt heads if they were together for long periods of time, Garcia was something akin to a fun aunt. But it was odd seeing her around this time. She was typically the first one gone. Before he could open his mouth to greet her, Garcia's new phone was shoved in his face. He couldn't tell what was on the screen, but from her squeal, Garcia was obviously excited about showing him.

"Lookie what I found!" She must have realized that the phone was too close to his face because she set it on the desk. On Garcia's phone, there was a picture of a woman with short dark hair, a friendly smile and blue eyes. However, right in the middle of the screen was a gray square with a sideways darker triangle inside of it. Reid returned his gaze to his coworker with furrowed brows. Garcia only looked back and forth between her phone and his face with an expression that told him she was expecting him to have the same reaction she was currently having. Honestly, Reid had no idea how to react. Finally, she realized that he had no idea what was going on. Garcia gave a dramatic sigh before tapping the screen of her phone. "I keep forgetting you're technologically inept. I suppose there are different types of us beautiful nerds."

Stopping himself from poking his lower lip out in a pout, Reid shifted his attention back to the phone. The picture had become video. The woman, most likely a talk show host, judging from the speech patterns, seemed to be about to introduce a guest. A writer had been the guest. Apparently the writer had been anonymous for many years before deciding to break away from their pen name. With unneeded buildup, the host presented the guest. The camera shifted and panned out. From the side, the writer walked out towards the host. Reid froze, instantly recognizing the woman. _"Kelly…"_ His mind echoed her name. She wore a short strapless black dress. The hem extended above her knees. Her hair was curly and wavy now. It was bit lighter, too, with maroon streaks. She also wore black heels. She hated heels. She hated dressing up. She didn't want to make public appearances either. So why…?

"How come you didn't tell me your girlfriend was appearing on television?" Garcia nearly bounced with excitement. Reid didn't turn his eyes away from the screen. His coworker continued to chatter, not noticing that he wasn't paying attention. Kelly… She smiled, laughed, and appeared to be enjoying herself. Without him. The majority of women who changed their hairstyles and a few aspects of their lives generally did so because of a new boyfriend or a breakup. A frown found its way onto his face. She had moved on. The interview seemed too short, though. Reid had half a mind to try and replay it. "You know, many of her fans thought she was guy? Please, with such powerful impactful, yet _beautiful _words, how could it be anything other than girl power?"

"I…" He swallowed. "I didn't know you were a fan, Garcia," Reid murmured after the cell phone was taken away from his line of sight.

"Well, of course I had to know everything about the woman that managed to capture my little braininess adorable friend's interest!" Garcia unabashedly exclaimed, drawing the attention of others still in the surrounding vicinity. "Anyway, did you-"

"You know what?" Reid abruptly stood up, interrupting the tech's sentence. She blinked several times, clearly surprised. "I'm… I'm pretty tired. I'm going to head home now." He began to pack up as Garcia tried to protest. She had wanted to invite him out for a midnight showing of _Sweeny Todd_, starring the gorgeous man-meat known as Johnny Depp—her words, not his. Personally, he would rather watch the 1928 silent version of the film. When he stated this, Garcia merely shook her head and told him he knew nothing of 'sexy acting and extraordinary dialogue.' Reid almost took offense to this, but Garcia was only being Garcia. "Bye, Garcia." He grabbed his sweater from the back of his chair and headed towards the exit.

"Bye, partypooper!" she called. "_Ooh_! Rain check! Rain check!"

Without looking back, Reid waved. Then he pushed opened the door, going towards the elevators. He only had to wait a few moments before the doors opened. Once he was inside, the genius nearly collapsed. The pain in his chest, he couldn't ignore it anymore. He bit his lip in frustration. There was nothing wrong with him physically. He knew this, but his mind betrayed him, having him actually believe that his lungs were expanding as though they were trying to break free from his chest. Reid leaned against the back wall, gripping his shirt. This big of a reaction was not normal. Had he seriously become so addicted to a _person_?

_Was it the way your body trembled under my fingertips like an addict's whenever his drug's within reach?_

The elevator dinged, causing Reid to straighten up before the doors opened. He cleared his throat, and then put on his sweater before placing the strap of his bag over his shoulder. It was a short walk. Outside, he looked up at the night sky. Though they were there, he couldn't see the stars. The moon, however, shone brightly. Sighing through his nose, the profiler glanced down at his new watch. 10:57, it said. The black watch had been a birthday gift from his father. It had replaced the watch he had previously worn. He didn't blame his father for what happened. Reid knew he was at fault. He had said some things he hadn't meant and she had taken it seriously. He should have called her, resolved the misunderstanding, and apologized until she became annoyed. But he hadn't. She must hate him. Being rejected by her—he was more afraid of that than not knowing if this was just the silent treatment.

"Hey, Guru!" A slightly familiar voice snapped the profiler out of his thoughts. He had made it to his car when he heard it. Turning his head, he saw two figures making their way over to him. He literally dropped his keys, stunned. André and Kevin Holloway were fast approaching. She had told them. They were coming to _kill_ him! Reid hastily told himself to calm down as he dropped down to pick up his keys. Not many people would plan to kill a person right in front of a government building. The probability of that happening was- "Hey, Earth to genius!" Kevin clamped a hand down on Reid's shoulder. "Did you hear me?"

Reid slowly stood at full height. "S-Sorry," he replied, still a bit nervous at the sight of the two brothers. They both wore similar grins. "What are you-" He cleared his throat. "-Doing here?"

"You've got one hectic schedule," André stated. "It took a couple of days to figure out when you'd be here."

"_Huh_?"

"We're here to kidnap you, Guru," Kevin explained. The two brothers laughed, finding the statement funny. Reid awkwardly joined in. They couldn't have been serious, right? The youngest brother wrapped an arm around his shoulder, guiding him away from his vehicle. "Now get in the van."

"What's that?"

"I'm just kidding." After laughing at his expense again, Kevin continued. "We're going to grab some drinks—you in?"

"_Um_… I don't-"

"Too bad, we're going," André interjected.

"Yeah, staking this place out almost got me arrested," Kevin muttered. "You're _definitely_ coming, Guru."

Reid had to hold back the squeak.

0-0

Good news, bad news.

The good news was that the Holloway brothers had no idea what had transpired between Kelly and himself. The bad news was that because they had no knowledge of the incident, they saw no problem with bringing him to the same place where he had met their sister. Mentally, Reid sighed mentally. Had he truly done something so heinous in the past that he now deserved this type of punishment? Not to mention, he _still_ did not enjoy the atmosphere that came when one entered a club. It was just as bad as he remembered. Hot, crowded, and loud. He could barely hear Kevin _whooping_ in glee beside him.

Frowning, Reid followed him to a table, which was fortunately away from the dance floor and the large speakers. As they passed the bar, his eyes lingered on the stools—two in particular. It was the very same place that Kelly had intentionally not approached him. Getting him to speak to her first, she was quite the cunning woman. The genius had to hide his bitter smile when André began talking to him. "I hope you're ready, nerd. This ain't a _girl's_ night out," he told him.

"Yeah," Kevin agreed to the statement Reid couldn't quite understand. "When you're with the boys, we _have_ to get _fucked_ up!"

"That… doesn't sound very pleasant," Reid uneasily gave his opinion as he sat down.

"Nonsense!" André patted his shoulder. He, too, sat. "This is going to be fun."

"Contrary to popular belief, the human body doesn't need to be depressed with alcohol to have _fun_," the genius began. "Actually, the body can-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Guru—I'm getting the drinks!" Kevin interrupted. He turned away, but he didn't move towards the bar. "Hey, isn't that Sica? And Ji?" Both Reid and André turned towards the dance floor. Though he looked, he couldn't be sure who he was looking for. Besides, the smoke, flashing lights, and green lasers made it a bit difficult to see clearly. Still, he scanned the crowd of dancers, searching for this Sica and Ji. Odd names. Most likely, they were nicknames. Kevin seemed to be fond of distributing nicknames to those he liked. "I'm going to get them!"

Reid turned questioning eyes to André, who seemed to get his expression. "It's Jessica and Ji Hyuk. They got married in Korea a couple months back," he explained. "Oh right. You didn't go to the wedding with Kelly." The profiler pressed his lips into a thin line as he looked away. "This is probably your first time meeting them, right?"

"I've seen pictures of Jessica, but it was from Kelly's childhood photos, so…" Reid uncomfortably trailed off. Jessica Kim was Kelly's best friend. She was bound to know what had happened. Would she tell the two brothers? He didn't have a clue what type of person she was to foresee that. "Do you know when she came back? Jessica?" The muscular man shrugged his shoulders.

"Last week maybe?"

"You know if she's spoken with Kelly yet?"

"That's more than likely," André answered. "Jessica views Kelly as her _unnie_—her older sister. They probably talked as soon as Jessica got back to the states." Something told Reid that this encounter was not going to end well. Before he could attempt to make up some excuse to leave—and probably postpone his life for awhile—Kevin returned to the table with the recently married couple. The two of them wore smiles as they approached, hand in hand. The African American woman was petite with long dark hair parted down the middle. Her skin tone was a bit lighter than Kelly's. She wore an orange and navy colored striped buttoned shirt, which showed off her cleavage. The heart-shaped necklace she wore also further shifted the attention to her breasts. Low-rise black jeans covered her legs. Her husband, Ji Hyuk, stood by her side wearing a sky blue shirt and blue jeans. Compared to his wife, the Korean male was much taller.

Reid had spotted the two in the crowd of dancers. They had seemed to be in their own little world as they danced. Dancing and staring into each others' eyes, despite the fact they had been back to front, the connection between them seemed to be deep, most definitely intense judging from the provocative way they had danced. Was it wrong of him to be slightly jealous?

Kevin was quick to make the introductions. Ji Hyuk gave a bashful smile and slight nod as his rubbed the back of his head. Reid returned the greeting with a friendly smile, thinking that he should be the one nervous. No, he was nervous after all. Especially since the smile had disappeared from Jessica's face when she had been introduced. The woman didn't exactly show him anything that indicated unfriendliness, but something did feel… _off_ with the way she had greeted him.

After a short chat between the four friends, André, Kevin, and Ji Hyuk went to the bar to order drinks. It was decided that the two additions caused for drinking games, so a lot of alcohol was needed. That is why the three of them left. Unfortunately, this left Reid under the hawkish stare of Kelly's best friend. Maybe that was just his imagination… Jessica sat across from him, not shifting her eyes away from him. Did she even _blink_? The genius couldn't be sure. The lights—they were still going. Suddenly, she smiled again.

"Why are you here?" she asked. The woman shook her head as though she was genuinely confused.

"To… To get…" Reid cleared his throat. "To get fucked up?" Her eyebrows rose in surprise. Then she laughed. Covering her mouth, she looked away. Perhaps he had been mistaken. He was too paranoid for his own good, it would seem. Finally, her laughter faded into mere giggles. She turned her gaze back to him. Her fit of giggles disappeared. Smile still on her face, she spoke again.

"You know damn well that's not what I meant," Jessica said. Reid swallowed hard. Though the smile was there, her words were hostile. The woman leaned forward, intertwining her fingers under her chin, elbows on the table. "But since you want to play the dumb dog, I'll be happy to explain what I meant. When I asked that, I meant why are you _alive_ in the presence of André and Kevin? Surely, they would have castrated you by now, wouldn't you agree?" In the past thirty years of his life, there were few times where Reid had come stunned speechless. Strangely, those times involved women. This was one of those times. A woman with a sharp tongue equipped with an innocent smile—he hadn't expected it at all. "Oh, I see… Unnie hasn't told them yet."

"I-"

"What makes you think you can talk right now?" Jessica interrupted before Reid could form a proper sentence. His mouth snapped shut. It was unnerving that this woman could continue smiling. She crossed her arms, sitting back in her chair. "For some damn reason, unnie still cares for you." The smiling woman sighed. "If it was me, I would have made sure my brothers-" Her smile widened a bit. "_Aigoo_… You're one lucky nerd."

Reid lowered his gaze to the table. "No. I'm not," he whispered. Jessica probably couldn't hear him over the music. "I messed up. I ruined one of the best things I've ever had. I'm not lucky." She didn't reply. He hadn't expected her to. "Fine. Tell them. You know what? I probably deserve it." The profiler shrugged, lifting his eyes again. "You, and everyone who has come to like her, would be happy with that, right?" His fingers curled, clenching into fists as he spoke in a rapid manner. The woman cocked her head to the side. Her smile was gone.

"So what the hell are you going to do about it?" she questioned. Reid's brow furrowed. "Obviously, you're miserable because of the mistake you've made. What are you going to do to correct it?"

"… There's… nothing I can do at this point," the genius murmured. "It's been too long. Kelly won't take me back after so much time has passed. She's never needed me in the first place." Reid didn't know why he was even talking about this. He was acting as though Jessica was a therapist.

"You… I thought you were a genius. How disappointing. You're so weak-minded," the woman stated. There was nothing he could say to that. It wasn't the first time he had been told that. Though, again, it had come from a woman Kelly knew. "Your sudden break up confused the hell out of unnie. When she's confused, she worries and frets over whatever it is that made her that way. To her, what you did was highly illogical, and she wouldn't get over that so easily. I spent the whole day distracting her from your narrow ass, and even then she kept checking her phone, waiting for _you_! Do you really not understand how much she likes you? You're the first guy outside her family to make her behave this way! She doesn't even like my husband all that much. She tolerates him only because he's helping her learn Korean! You don't know how lucky you are! _Aish_! I'm so mad now!"

Jessica lifted her arm as though to strike him, but Reid didn't flinch. His eyes expanded, shocked. He had thought Kelly would go on living her life as if he had never entered it. An image of the novelist appeared in his mind's eye. The profiler believed that Kelly Holloway was a strong and independent woman. But here Jessica Kim, her best friend, was telling him that Kelly had been doing the same things. _"Just like me,"_ he thought. Reid abruptly stood up.

"Hey, where are you going?" Jessica asked. He didn't answer. Kelly—he had to see her. Now. "Oh, no you don't! Oppa!" Before Reid could go any further towards the exit, he found himself in what Morgan had demonstrated on him before. A standing full Nelson. The genius knew from experience that moving would be fruitless. "You're not going anywhere right now."

"Sorry about this, hyung," a voice he recognized as Kim Ji Hyuk told him. So he had been the one? "When she calls me that, my body reacts on its own."

"Hyung...?" Reid turned his head a bit.

"You're older than me, right? I can call you that, right? Let's be friends. Since we have _that_ in common, huh?"

This guy was as shy as his wife, it appeared.

"Guru! Hope you're not leaving already!" Kevin's voice reached him. Finally, Ji Hyuk released Reid from the wrestling move. The genius turned back to the table, rubbing at his left arm with a frown. André and Kevin had returned with five glasses and two huge glass jugs of a golden liquid. "We're starting with regular beer, and then we're moving on to shots since its _Shots Night_." Reid could only stare at the four grinning expressions with a perplexed look. Shots Night…? He couldn't exactly say that the term brought about pleasant thoughts.

And after it was over, he would vow never to drink with these four again.

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To find out all the crazy shit Spencer Reid did while under the influence of alcohol, please _review_!


	7. Blitz Attack

Once again, she sharply turned her gaze away from her phone. The offending object lay near her feet, which were propped up on the coffee table. Despite the fact that her best friend had come over earlier to try to distract her, her eyes still strayed to the small blue phone. Kelly frowned. Not even Ji Hyuk's way of distracting her worked completely. Learning new Korean phrases and words, as hard as it was, made her feel better whenever she felt less than content. She still could not understand why she was behaving this way. The novelist sighed heavily, and then returned her focus to her laptop's screen. She was been in the middle of writing again when she had had the urge to glance at her phone. Also, a marathon of something she was hardly paying attention to was currently on her television screen. _The Big Bang Theory_, it was called. Admittedly, the parts she had happened to look up for were pretty funny. The Sheldon Cooper character was hilarious.

She didn't laugh, though. She couldn't. Knowing it wouldn't be real, how could she? Lately, she had been feeling so lethargic. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she had one less job to worry about, so she didn't have a problem with resting. Then again, resting didn't seem to help. Kelly could not get back to the way she had been. A sigh escaped her slightly parted lips. She squeezed her eyes shut. Her fingers reached up, pinching the bridge of her nose. It was late. She supposed that it was time to stop and go to bed. Though, perhaps she should have gone with Jessica and Ji Hyuk to the club. Would it have been likely that she'd be too distracted there due to the atmosphere?

Probably not.

It was the same club she had met him. Spencer Reid. Another sigh came forth. This time, Kelly slammed her laptop shut and then placed it on her coffee table as she planted her feet on the floor. Whatever. It was late, anyway. She had to work before noon tomorrow, and it was already forty-three minutes after midnight. The novelist stood up, picking up her laptop as she did. She also picked up the remote and turned the television off. Holding her hot laptop close to her chest with one arm, she walked in the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, she was greeted by her breakfast and lunch for tomorrow—green apple slices and a turkey sandwich. Perhaps she could buy cookies to go along with her lunch? Kelly closed the refrigerator and moved slowly towards her room.

Once she entered her room, she turned off the light and placed her laptop on its cooler and plugged it in. She would turn her laptop off completely before leaving for work. Right now, it had to cool down. Kelly yawned as she unzipped her extra large sweater. It was supposed to be her size, but she had grown fond of it, so she hadn't sent it back. Now, she used it as a robe of sorts. It did reach her mid thigh. Shrugging the sweater off, she let it fall to the floor before climbing into bed. She turned her left side and pulled the covers up to her neck.

Suddenly realizing she was missing something, Kelly groaned and tossed the covers from her nearly nude body. Quickly, she moved through the house until she reached her living room. She picked up her cell phone. It would have been troublesome if she didn't hear the alarm go off because she had made a careless mistake. Being late for work was something she disliked. Kelly, phone in hand, walked back to her room, and set it down on her desk. With another sigh, she settled into bed again. Tomorrow was going to be another long day. One last sigh came from her mouth as she shut her eyes.

After nearly thirty minutes, sleep finally took her. That's generally how long it took. Without fail, she would think of furthering the plots to her stories as she lied in bed. That way, her dreams would consist of her characters and perhaps twisted plots. That is one of the reasons she was a best seller. With ideas always fresh on her mind, it was easy to write them out. Whether it was the morning before work, or late into the night, her work is what she most thought about—dreamed about. However… There were times… Her dreams would focus entirely on him. Like now.

Frowning, Kelly shifted her body a bit. He only moved closer, wrapping both arms around her sides. Pulling her close, he rubbed his face against her hair. He let out a satisfied sigh as though this is what he most enjoyed. Tormenting her. The woman squeezed her eyes shut. _"Spencer, go away! Leave my mind alone!" _she pleaded in thought. Like many times before, she tried willing him away. Like many times before, she failed miserably. Her mind was a traitor when it came to this man. The novelist tensed, feeling his lips lightly press against her shoulder blade. Apparently, her body was a traitor as well because as he continued to kiss her skin, gradually she relaxed in his embrace.

Was she pathetic? Dreaming of a man who did not want anything to do with her must have seemed pathetic. Especially to herself. This happened, at least, three times a week. It wasn't like her to be this way, thinking of a man so much. Yet here she was, dreaming of his touch. How had this happened? She couldn't understand when and how she had become this way. His kisses moved upward towards her neck. He moved her hair away from her skin, giving him full access. Kelly bit her lip as his left hand moved upward as well. Perhaps if she ignored him—pushed him away—he would leave her to dream in peace.

She tried. Shoving his hand away from her body, however, didn't stop his kisses. He had only moved his hands lower, caressing her thighs. Grimacing, Kelly moved her body again. She heard the scoff before she felt him bit into her skin—hard. Screaming out, mostly in shock, she sat up. He had bitten her shoulder. Wincing, she grabbed her at left shoulder with her right hand. "Are you a _dog_?" she yelled. He ignored her shout and sat up as well. Appearing calmer than she was at the moment, the profiler leaned forward, hands pushing down on the bed, and kissed her lips.

"I missed you," he whispered, and then kissed her again.

Oh no. She couldn't resist. With his repeated kisses, she gradually gave in. Pain forgotten, Kelly returned his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. She had missed him, too. Admittedly, she had longed for this. Honestly, she had _wanted_ this. No matter how pathetic she felt about it, that didn't change the fact that she wanted to dream of him. No. In truth, she wanted him in reality. Was that over now? Were these dreams all she had to look forward to? Damn it. Still, Kelly pushed those thoughts aside as she removed his dark grey suit jacket from his shoulders and pushed him down on the bed. She shifted her body so that he could lie comfortably underneath her as she tossed the jacket on the floor.

As the kiss deepened and grew more intense, she felt his hands all over her body. It was as though he had told her. His nearly frantic movements, trying to touch every inch of her, made it seem as though he had missed her just as much or more. But this was a dream. In her dreams, he was still with her. In her dreams, Spencer didn't remember what she had done and carried on as though it never happened. Suddenly, Kelly felt sick. What type of stupid dream was this? She pulled away, but she didn't get very far. He gripped her arms. "Hey… Hey, what's wrong?" She shook her head before averting her gaze. He sat up, moving his hand to her cheek. "Relax," he told her. Lightly, he kissed her chest, and then in between her breasts. "Relax."

Ultimately, his words did cause her body and mind to settle. Her eyelids lowered slightly as Spencer continued kissing her upper body. He slid her bra strap down and rubbed his nose back and forth against her skin where the strap had been. Then he slid his lips up to her neck, and then to her lips. "Spencer…" she murmured. "I'm sorry." He hadn't seemed to have heard her. The profiler returned to kissing her. However, before it went further, Kelly heard the sound of her cell phone ringing. She parted from him, craning her neck so that she could see her desk. Almost confused, she stared at the glowing screen as her phone continued to vibrate. The familiar ringtone of her best friend seemed to echo in the room.

Reflexively, Kelly twisted her body to make a grab at the phone. Spencer stopped her, though. "No, no, no, no, no! Don't answer it." He kissed her cheek as if it were he wanted to distract her from the ringing. She turned back to him only to become trapped in his embrace and kiss. He breathed in deeply though his nose, holding the kiss for as long as he could. "Don't answer it." His repeated sentence caused the novelist to nod her head. For a moment, the two resumed their fit of passion. Then the phone rang again. This time, the ringtone belonged to Ji Hyuk. She knew right away because the song was a Korean one she had heard whilst she was at their wedding.

She couldn't ignore it this time. Kelly removed herself from Spencer's body, hearing the groan of displeasure from him. On her knees, she reached for her cell phone. With a push of a button, an irritated voice yelled in her ear. "Why the hell can't you pick up the phone? That's what it's _there_ for!" That irritated voice belonged to Jessica Kim. "Oh, but you can answer when Oppa is calling you, _huh_?" Kelly sighed heavily. Behind her, Spencer moved his body close. Wrapping his arms around her, he began kissing her again, mostly her left shoulder where he had bitten her.

"I told you not to answer," he whispered. Kelly tried her best to ignore his gentle touches as she spoke with her friend.

"Why are you calling?" she questioned.

"To cut to the chase, we don't know where your… ex-boyfriend is."

"…"

"Yeah, your brothers got him drunk off his ass at the club and he disappeared. We can't find him," Jessica continued, not knowing that Kelly had stopped breathing for a moment. What…? So… This wasn't a dream? She hadn't gone to sleep at all? Then her voice came back. She sucked in a breath before slowly releasing it.

"_Huh_. Is that right? You _lost_ him?"

"It's actually kinda funny. We found his sweater vest, but we don't know where _he_ is. _Hehe_."

"I see… Jessica, give me a second, okay?" Before her friend could reply, Kelly dropped her hand, which held the phone to her ear. She squeezed her eyes shut as her fingers curled and clenched around her cell phone. She hadn't been dreaming. This was real. Spencer Reid was here, in her bedroom, and in his drunken state, completely forgot that they weren't together anymore and that he should not have been kissing her all this time. The novelist breathed out a shuddering breath as though she had discovered a mutilated body and was trying desperately not to puke at the sight. Not that she would so such a thing in that type of situation, but if she was normal, that is what she would feel like at this current moment. Or maybe it was just embarrassment.

Slowly her eyes opened again. She glanced back at the profiler. He had not stopped his flurry of kisses. There were so many things she wanted to ask him. Why had he come here? How had he come here? Why in the world did he agree to go drinking with her brothers, knowing full well that it could have become a dangerous encounter? Albeit, she hadn't told her brothers, he must have thought it was safer to stay away. It was for that very reason. He had been supposed to use that to his advantage and stay clear of them until she deemed it safe enough to tell them. Also, there was the question of what had he done to make her best friend not, at least, try to beat him up. However, what came out of Kelly's mouth was not a question at all. "Reid." He actually stopped, seemingly startled by the way her voice sounded. Complete lack of interest. "Get off me. Now." It must have taken a moment for her words to sink in. When they did, he only held onto her tighter.

"Shireo," he said, and then kissed her neck again. So he had been hanging with Kim Ji Hyuk. That had sounded like the Korean word for 'I don't want to.' Did he become childish while drunk? Kelly frowned, narrowing her eyes.

"I said get _off_ me!" She sharply elbowed him. Expectedly, he released her, groaning in pain. He was fine, though. Even if he had fell onto his side, holding his stomach. She had aimed for a fleshy part as to not break anything. Kelly turned to glare at him, but after a moment, her expression softened. As she thought, she couldn't be too angry at a drunken person. Sighing, she held her phone up to her ear again, turning away from the groaning profiler. "Continue," she told Jessica.

"Like I said, it was kinda funny. He can't dance at _all_! My God, it was hilarious!" the married woman almost cooed. Kelly narrowed her eyes again. Cooed, _huh_…? Even Jessica Kim had begun to like him somehow. Spencer had a strange charm, after all. "Then, the alcohol took effect. _Omo_! It got better after that! Did you know he knows how to break dance? He and Oppa were _killin_' it in the club!"

"Is that Hyung? Hyung, saranghabnida! Hyung-nim!" Another voice shouted out. Obviously, it was a drunken Ji Hyuk.

"As you've heard, the two of them hit it off," Jessica continued. "Well, after their little dance off, it was time for shots."

"Shots…?"

"You know. Shots Night."

"You're kidding…"

"Nope, and I'm glad I'm not. Your boy toy can't sing to save his _life_! I think he had intended to kill us when he went on stage! We all laughed _so_ hard. It wasn't only the fact that he couldn't sing either. He made up his own shit to the beat of the songs! You know, smart shit! Oh God! Just remembering it almost made me drive into a stop sign! _Hahahahaha_!"

"Yeah, yeah. Right. How did you lose him?" Kelly insisted to know. Sure it was easy to lose just one person, Spencer had told her numerous times with many possibilities, especially involving drunken people, but as overprotective of people as Andre was to those deemed as loved one—the profiler had received that title without knowing it—there's no way her older brother would let him out of his sight.

"_Oh, oh_! It gets better! After he was booed from the stage, he got all depressed and decided to drink away his sorrows because of his failed music career. _He_ said this, not me! If Kevin wasn't so drunk off his ass, he would have thought to use some of this material. By the way, Andre took him home, so you don't have to worry. Anyway, anyway, then your boy toy snaps from his depressed acting and starts dancing again. We have the heart to tell him he was dancing with gay dudes. It was just too-"

"How did you lose him?" Kelly interrupted, gripping her phone.

"_Ah_… Well… We were about to leave, after he made us do several sobriety tests to see which of us was able to drive home. Me and Andre passed, while everyone else failed miserably. I was always good with tests, right, unnie? Anyway, as we're leaving, you boy toy is bumped into by another person. Now, instead of apologizing like a normal person, his ass goes and says 'Back off, bitch! I'm a committed man!' He says a lot of funny stuff when he's drunk, man!" Kelly held her breath. Had he really said that? She shook her head. He could have been talking about anyone. Still, she couldn't stop her cheeks from warming more than they should be. "But apparently the person was not a bitch, and didn't like being called one either. This guy punched the _shit_ outta Guru! But he didn't cry like a little bitch. Honestly, I was expecting him to, but he got right back up and punched the other guy back. Well, that guy slammed into a table, spilling alcohol and breaking shit. The group he knocked into wasn't happy about it, so… eventually, it led to a bar fight."

"B-Bar fight?" Kelly repeated incredulously. "He started a bar fight?"

"Yeah, and he was right in the middle of it, which is why I'm—we're freaking out because he disappeared as soon as the sirens were heard. Swear he got some black in him somewhere."

The woman sighed out. It felt like a headache was trying to form. "Araso… You don't have to worry anymore." Kelly glanced back at the profiler. He had recovered from the strike and was now trying hold onto her bed for dear life even though he was nowhere near the edge. "He stumbled his way over to my house. I'll take it from here. You just focus on Kim Ji Hyuk-ssi. I'll text you his address, so you can drop his sweater vest off later." Jessica made a noise of confirmation, and then hung up. Sighing, Kelly did the same. This wasn't the first time she had to deal with a drunken person. Many times in the past, she had to take care of her best friend and Kevin. They were the party animals. "And apparently… so are you." Her gaze shifted back to the genius. She placed her phone back on the desk, and then crawled over to him. "Reid," she got his attention by calling his name. He, however, frowned. Sitting up, he released his firm grip on the bedspread. "Tell me how you got into my house."

He swayed a bit and squint his eyes in her direction before blinking rapidly. Kelly had to snap her fingers twice to get his attention again, telling him to focus. She repeated her request. "The do… The _door_, of course," he slurred. "How else would I enter?" He suddenly snorted, trying to hold back laughter. "_Haha_! Enter! I said _enter_!" Kelly stared at him for a moment, not sure what she was witnessing, but apparently alcohol did inhibit intelligence. "You are so… _pretty_!" He reached out to touch her face, but the novelist leaned away from him, causing the profiler to pout.

"The dock was locked," she told him. "_How_ did you get through the door?" In response, Spencer fondled his own chest area. Of course, this did a fine job of confusing the novelist until he managed to pull the chain from under his shirt out. Dangling from the silver chain was a copy of her house key. She had forgotten about it. Her hand made a grab for the key, but Spencer held onto the chain as though it was his life line. "Give it to me!"

"No!" came his firm reply. He even yanked on the chain, though it wasn't enough to take it from Kelly's grasp. "This was a present from my girlfriend! I'll keep it _always_!"

"I am your girl—_ex_-girlfriend! And I want it back!" She pulled him forward. "Let it go!"

"You're not my girlfriend," Spencer stated. Kelly sucked in a breath. Though it was true, somehow, it stung. "She's beautiful. You're just-" He sniffed and turned his head away. "You're just _sexy_." It sounded as though he was insulting her, but it also sounded like a compliment. "I guess you are similar," he continued, returning his gaze to her body. "But just because you look like her-" Did he just sniff her? "Smell like her-" He licked her cheek, too! "And taste like her doesn't mean…" He trailed off, looking deep in thought. "Wait, I guess that does mean you're her… Kelly!" He grinned. "But I'm not giving my present back."

By this time, Kelly had snapped from her stunned daze. "F-Fine!" Abruptly, she released her hold on the key. Because Spencer had been pulling away this whole time, he lurched back and fell to the floor. "I'll get it back sooner or later." Her statement was met by a pained yelp type of noise. Now, Kelly realized the state she was in. It was inappropriate for her unexpected guest to see her like this. She moved from the bed, picking up her sweater from the floor. As she pushed her arms through the sleeves, she made her way over to the door. There, she turned on the light, and then zipped up the sweater. "Reid. Get up, you're _fine_."

"I am not!" Spencer protested. Shakily, he stood up from the floor. Now that she got a good look at him in the artificial light, Kelly could see that he had been in a fight. Around his right eye, the beginnings of a black eye were forming. At the moment, it was just red, but soon his skin would darken. Also, his jaw line was bruised. Had he been hit only twice, or were there more injuries? Damn. Now she felt guilty.

"Just come with me," Kelly ordered. She didn't bother to look back to see if he would. Hearing his footsteps were enough. From the sound of it, he had removed his shoes sometime before he had entered her bedroom. _"Damn it…"_ she thought. All that happened because he was drunk and she had given him access to her home before the breakup. _"How could I have been so stupid?"_ Increasing her pace, Kelly reached the kitchen quickly and turned on the light. The stove displayed the time. It was almost two in the morning. Without a word, she opened her refrigerator. Reaching in, she grabbed her lunch bag. She supposed she had to buy something for lunch tomorrow instead. Feeling a sudden whack on her behind, Kelly became so startled that the top of her head hit the top of the inside of the refrigerator. "Son of a bitch…!"

She grabbed her head with one hand and moved backwards before glaring at the grinning genius. "I've always wanted to do that," Spencer told her. Then he covered a giggle with four fingers. Reminding herself that he was intoxicated, Kelly swallowed her shout. There was no use yelling at a person while in a drunken state. She knew from experience. Sighing, the woman reached into her bag and pulled at a small plastic bag, which contained her sandwich. She then removed the sandwich and gave it to the drunken man. He stared at it as though it's very appearance baffled him. This is what a genius was reduced to once copious amounts of alcohol were ingested. Shame.

Ignoring him for a moment, Kelly opened the freezer to get a few ice cubes. If she didn't, at least, put ice on his eye, he would be walking around with a black eye for weeks. Hopefully, taking care of it now would stop the appearance of the black eye altogether. After all, it was a week day. He had work tomorrow. Not that she cared. After dropping the ice cubes into the bag, she twisted the top several times, so they wouldn't slip out. She pressed the bag of ice against his face, causing him to wince. After a moment, Spencer relaxed, closing his eyes and sighing through his nose.

Kelly narrowed her eyes. She had never seen him this way. Sure, he had drunk with her whenever they had gone out to eat, but neither of them had gotten drunk. Well, there had been that time when he had met her family, but she hadn't become so intoxicated that she had behaved like a fool—despite what Kevin had told her the next morning. "How much did you drink?" Kelly questioned.

"I… I… I lost… I lost count," he answered.

"That's never happened before."

"I know the exact… exact amount of al-acohol to consume to become intoximicated," Spencer slurred. "They, on the other hand, didn't. Plus, I was… was terrified by most of them. Your best friend is scarier than your brothers!" Kelly almost chuckled. That sounded like Jessica. Pretty face, and yet would make a sailor go crying to his mother. She took the bag away from his eye and headed over to the cabinet above the sink. Standing on the tip of her toes, she opened the door and pulled out a bag of giant pretzel sticks. Dark chocolate wasn't the only thing she liked to snack on.

Opening the bag as she walked over to the profiler, Kelly told him to eat. Spencer's eyebrows furrowed. "The bread will absorb the fluid in your stomach, preventing violent expulsion from the mouth. You should know this even if you are drunk. After you eat the sandwich, you're going to eat some of these pretzels, too. I want to be absolutely sure you won't throw up in your sleep and choke on your own vomit, so eat." He stared at her for a moment before turning his gaze down to the sandwich in his hand.

"I have to eat?"

"Yes."

"I'd rather… I'd rather eat you."

Kelly almost dropped the bag of pretzels. It's the alcohol talking; that became a chant in her mind. Spencer didn't normally say things like this to her. It was definitely the alcohol. Many referred to alcohol as a truth serum. But it was also referred to as liquid confidence. Kelly shook her head a bit, ridding herself of those thoughts. It was clear to her that, for Spencer, it made him delusional—nothing else. She watched him nibble on the sandwich until it was gone. Realizing she had been staring at his mouth the entire time, Kelly shifted her gaze elsewhere as she handed him the bag.

Something was seriously wrong with her.

The woman bent her torso to take a cup from the dishwasher. The dishes were clean. She had failed to find time to put them away, that's all. Kelly turned on the faucet, filling the plastic green cup with water. Hearing him munch on the pretzels put her mind at ease of his untimely death, but like she had told him, she wanted to be absolutely sure. Reaching for the cabinet above the stove, she pulled out the salt. Salt dissolved in water induces vomiting. Another thing she knew from experience. It was better than shoving something down the person's throat or punching them in their gut as she had been told.

After a few minutes of mindlessly stirring the concoction, Kelly finally turned back to Spencer. He had been eating like a chipmunk, which was almost… cute. She took the bag from him, earning a whimper of displeasure. "Come on. Follow me," she told him after she set the bag down on the counter. Cup in hand, she led the profiler to her bathroom. Once there, she instructed Spencer to stand in front of the sink.

"_Ooh_, kinky," he giggled again. Frowning, Kelly gave him the cup of water. "What's this?"

"Something that will make me—I mean, _you_, feel better," she replied with a shrug. Fully trusting her, Spencer drank the entire cup of water. Now, all she had to do was to wait. Waiting didn't last long. Almost immediately, the genius emptied the contents of his stomach into the sink. Kelly crossed her arms, listening to the sound of him retching. As she had done this numerous times, the sound didn't bother her. It wasn't long before the sounds of retching stopped and were replaced by the sounds of huffing. Finally, he turned to her.

"Micheoseo?" he almost screamed. She believed that one was 'Are you crazy?' Personally, that was her favorite one to say to idiotic customers.

"Yes, Korean is a fun language, isn't it?" was her nonchalant reply. "Now brush your teeth so you can go to bed." Kelly eyed the pair of toothbrushes over the hanging mirror. The purple was belonged to him. She hadn't gotten rid of it herself. "Oh, and take that with you when you leave for work. Don't forget." He frowned. "Hurry up. I have work, too." He didn't protest and picked up his toothbrush. Even in his drunken state, it took him exactly seven minutes to finish. Kelly peered into the sink. His puke had been washed away. She looked at him. He appeared tired now that his stomach was empty. "Time for bed," she announced, leaving the bathroom. "You can go to the living room. I'll bring you a pillow and cover."

"Why?" Spencer asked. Kelly stopped and turned to him.

"Isn't it obvious? You're sleeping on the couch."

"No I'm not," he replied. "Why would I do that when there's a perfectly good bed?"

"You're _not _sleeping in my room."

"Why not?"

Suddenly annoyed, Kelly felt her eye twitch. "Because, _Reid_, you don't have that privilege anymore!" she raised her voice. "Are you seriously so drunk that you can't even remember you gave that up, _huh_? _You_ broke up with me. You ended this! We have nothing to do with each other anymore, so stop appearing in front of me! You-" Her back was suddenly slammed against the nearby wall. Eyes expanding in surprise, she stared up at him. His left hand smacked against the wall near head as his right hand gripped her shoulder. "Get off me, Reid!"

"Stop," he said. His voice was barely above a whisper. "Stop it now."

"Stop _what_?"

"Calling me Reid. I don't like it," he explained.

"That's your _name_, isn't it? That's what everyone else calls you!" Kelly, herself, was surprised at how spiteful she sounded.

"Everyone else refers to me by my last name to show respect or because it's a habit. _You're_ doing it to put distance in between us." Spencer sighed, moving his hand from the wall to her waist. His other hand slid down her body as well. "I don't like it." Kelly turned her head away. Even while drunk, he was still good at observing her behavior. "Please say my name. Tell me you missed me." The woman felt horrified to realize that she couldn't breathe, let alone speak. She could feel her heartbeat in her ears. Her eyes squeezed shut again as she bit her lower lip, hoping the feeling would go away. "I missed you," he spoke softly in her ear. His lips touched the curve of her ear, causing Kelly to shudder.

"Don't… You can't," she managed to say. "You can't… kiss me anymore."

"But I want to." As though following a line, he pressed kisses against her skin until he reached the corner of her lips. "Kelly…" She swallowed hard. Half of her wanted to fight him, push him away—anything to escape this feeling. The other half wanted to be consumed by this feeling. The woman slowly turned her head and opened her eyes, hesitantly meeting his gaze. His eyes didn't seem as clouded as they had been. It was almost as if he wasn't drunk anymore—as if he knew exactly what he was doing. This wasn't fair. How was she supposed to react to this type of Spencer Reid? "You're beautiful." His hands slipped under her sweater and cupped her backside before squeezing lightly. "I want you." Breathing through his nose, he planted a hard kiss under her chin.

"Spencer," Kelly shut her eyes. "We-" She was interrupted. Apparently, saying his name had been satisfying enough. He had chuckled, and then had distracted her from speaking again with his lips on hers. She felt his hands move. He slowly unzipped her sweater, mouth following after the black sliding tab as it went down. The woman gasped sharply as he licked around her navel. His hand stroked her left inner thigh, before working its way back up to her waist. Spencer stood to his full height again, kissing down on her. His tongue forcibly entered her mouth, twirling and moving around hers. She couldn't hold him back any longer. Joining the erotic dance of their tongues, Kelly grabbed handfuls of his white shirt and yanked it out of his pants—the rest of it, anyway.

Hurriedly, she unbuttoned his shirt as he continued to caress her body. He slid the sweater from her shoulders and pulled his lips away, only to bite and suck on her chest. The sweater dropped to the floor around her legs. Moments later, his shirt fell to the floor as well. Palms against her breasts, Spencer moved her from the wall. Kelly didn't mind. Really, she had become too sidetracked by his invigorating kiss again. She hadn't realized they had moved until her back came into contact with the top of her bed.

He panted, breaking away. When he smiled, Kelly found her body becoming hotter. "You're so beautiful." He kissed her cheek again. As if he had become animalistic, he bit her yet again. And again. Biting all over her skin, Spencer enticed several moans to come forth. Paralyzed, yet feeling everything he was doing, the woman could barely keep her eyes opened. Had it been so long that she was becoming dizzy from his affection? Or was it because his gentle affection had changed to aggressive affection? Whatever the answer, she could not stop him. He had gotten under her skin and she liked it.

Spencer alternated his kisses from her left and right thighs. Then he pressed his nose against her light blue panties. This caused Kelly to spring up. She grabbed his hair, pulling his head away. Heavy pants escaped her mouth as she stared down at him. He frowned, yet said nothing. "W-Wait…!" Flustered, the woman hastily stood up from the bed. Her body trembled despite the fact that she hugged herself to make the shaking stop. She wasn't scared, though. Okay. Maybe a little. What would be his reaction the next morning? Perhaps he would shun her, thinking that she had taken advantage of him. Even though it was clearly the other way around. Clenching her teeth, Kelly squeezed her arms. "We shouldn't do this!"

She heard him stand up behind her. She also heard him shuffling around until the sound of his belt hitting the floor caused her to flinch. His arms came around her. Kelly hated the fact that her body relaxed. She could feel his hardness, pressing against her. "Do you want to stop?" Spencer inquired. With one hand, he moved her hair to one side so that he could deliver soft kisses to her neck and shoulder. Kelly swallowed hard. Then she lied. "I can tell you're lying." He sucked on her bulging vein. Leading her back over to the bed, he made her sit on his lap. His erection became more apparent. "Liars are punished, too." He spread her legs apart. With the other hand, he turned her chin towards him.

When he kissed her again, she had felt it this time. The urgency, the hunger, the sexual craving had been building within in for awhile. Just like her. Kelly returned the passionate kiss full force. He had been in the same situation since the break up as well. All the pent up frustration had exploded from both their bodies, urging them to share the heat with each other. The dizziness had let up, but her body felt as though it had been submerged in water. Heavy, yet light. Spencer moaned in her mouth, which made her rear back. Looking into his eyes, she realized she wanted him. Desperately. The look in his eyes was the same. "Spencer," she licked her lips and reached up, pushing her palm to his cheek. His face flushed as he stared back at her. Kelly didn't need to say anything more. He seemed to understand right away.

As long and deep as their kisses were, they didn't pull away from each other again. Slowly and enticingly, Kelly moved her bottom against his lap. He gripped and teased her breasts and nipple until he deemed the bra unnecessary. His touch disappeared for only a moment to unhook the clasp. His fingers returned to her hardened nipples. Her moans of bliss continued to be muffled as one of his hands slipped lower. She gasped in his mouth, but he didn't stop. Already moist, it was easy to slide his finger in. Kelly held his wrist as he continued to pleasure her, finger making circular movements. If he kept this up, she would end up exploding without him. She didn't want that. The woman broke the heated kiss, causing Spencer to give chase. However, Kelly turned her head away, pulling his sweaty wrist up, which made his hand follow.

With shuddering breaths, she slid off his lap and on to the bed. Spencer followed after her, removing his pants and boxers as he moved. Kicking them off the bed, he moved on top of her. He kissed her deeply again, hands roaming all the while. His fingers tugged on her panties until he had slid them completely off. Trailing kisses back up her body towards her ear, he lightly breathed out. "I need you," he whispered, causing another ragged shudder. He pressed against her. Feeling him inch inside, Kelly wrapped her legs around him. He delved deeper until he was completely inside. Grabbing the black headboard, he began.

Moving back and forth, Kelly moved her hips along with his. Her fingers dug into his back and slip down. A cross between pleasure and pain type of noise came out of his mouth. Still, he didn't stop. Really, it seemed to encourage him to go faster. "_AH_!" Kelly couldn't contain herself. It had been far too long since she had felt this. But something was different. This was… _more_ somehow. "_Ahhh_! Sp-Spen-Spencer!" She squeezed her eyes shut, thoroughly enjoying the sensations she had missed and craved. His thrusts became harder. She almost forgot how to breathe. All she knew was this felt so _good_. So right.

Spencer didn't let up until the end. His body tensed as did hers. The release was coming. They both knew that. His hot, shuddering breaths in her ear only added to her pleasure. With one last grunt and plunge, simultaneously their sweet release came. After a few seconds, he collapsed on top of her. Kelly lied limply underneath his body. She reached up, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Her entire body was covered in sweat—his, too. Spencer didn't move to get up. She felt his lips smile against her skin. Finally, he moved out of her as he kissed her collarbone. Her body twitched, but then relaxed again. He lied down beside her, turning her body onto its side so that he could wrap his arms around her. Sighing through his nose, the profiler held her close to his body.

Kelly stared at his satisfied expression. He wouldn't look the same when he woke up. The woman shut her eyes, feeling tired. She didn't want to think anymore. Crossing that bridge would be a pain, but she would cross it once it arrived. For now, she was content with having a peaceful sleep. She rested her cheek against his chest, listening to his heartbeat as it slowed to its normal rate. Spencer was probably exhausted. Pretty soon, he would be asleep, probably before her. "Kelly." At her whispered name, she opened her eyes a bit. He sounded like he was about to drift off. "Don't… leave me… Stay with… always…" She didn't respond to the demand. He didn't mean it, anyway. "Sa… Saranghae, Kelly."

Her eyes expanded wide in stunned surprise. Her mouth open, yet no sentence formed. She could only lay there, unblinking. _"What?"_ Her mind, however, still functioned properly. The scream echoed in her mind alone. He couldn't have known what that meant. No. He _had_ to know what that meant. Body frozen, his words repeated in her mind over and over again. She couldn't stop it. She couldn't ignore it. Dismissing it as more of his drunken antics didn't even come to mind. Then she realized. This whole time, she had been thinking incorrectly. This had nothing to do with carnal appetite. It wasn't lust. It wasn't something like possessive behavior. This was something Kelly hadn't felt before. A stinging came to the corner of her eyes. Tears had welled up. This was…

_Love_.


	8. Escalating

Waking up with a terrible headache was not a good way to start the day. In addition to that, not being able to remember things was horrifying in itself. Why? People with eidetic memory didn't just _forget_. Waking up completely nude had only added to the horror. Reid squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his palm hard against his forehead. Realizing that he had woken up in a familiar place had quelled his panic _a bit_. However, that relief had only lasted for about a minute after he had completely awakened and understood the situation he was in.

He had woken up in his ex-girlfriend's bed… with no memory.

The sticky notes he had found did not explain anything pertaining to last night. Also, he had been afraid to call her to find out. Then again, she had already left her house in order to go to work. She wouldn't be able to answer her phone, anyway. The notes she had left behind stated that she had left her keys behind and that he could use her car to make it to work, and that she would be there around noon to retrieve her them from him. It was strange to him. She had washed and dried his clothes, ironed them, too, and yet she had not folded them or treated them with care afterwards. They had been on the floor.

Reid sat down at his desk with a heavy sigh and removed his bag from his person. Even now, he could feel the stares on his person. Was it that unusual for a person to wear the same clothes two days in a row? The profiler leaned back in his chair, covering his face. This situation was confusing. She had even made him tea and had prepared medicine for headaches. It had soothed his hangover somewhat. Even as a profiler, he couldn't be certain if that woman was angry with him or not. What should he do? What _could_ he do? Sooner or later, he would have to face Kelly Holloway. After so many weeks of being apart, he would see her again. Reid knew she wouldn't be smiling, but for some reason, his mind wouldn't let go of the image of her smiling for him. "Hey, Reid!" Oh great. This was just what he needed. Derek Morgan's interrogation. "Are you wearing the same clothes from yesterday? Why are you so late to work?" And it starts…

"Oh yeah! There's this amazing machine that was invented in 1874. Originally it was a gift for the inventor's wife, but later he began building and selling the machine for about two dollars and fifty cents. It's called the washing machine and it allows me to wear clothes more than once."

"… Is there something wrong, Reid?"

"You have no idea… _I_ have no idea," he replied, removing his hands from his face. The expression on Morgan's face changed drastically, which caused him to pay attention. His coworker appeared… horrified. His hand reached out, asking what had happened to his face. "My face…?" Then his fellow profiler stated that he had a black eye. "Oh."

"_Oh_?" Morgan repeated the noise as though he was incredulous. "What happened? Did _she_ do this?" Reid didn't need to be a mind reader to know who the dark-skinned man was referring to. He frowned and was about to vehemently defend the woman, but then he thought about it. Actually, he had no idea how he received these injuries. The entire night after that, hopefully last, jello shot had been completely wiped from his mind. The only thing he knew for certain was that he hadn't had any injuries when at that club and that he had awoken naked in his ex-girlfriend's bed. She might had given him these injuries, especially if had shown lewd behavior. This didn't bode well for him.

This had happened once before. Once. It had been the night he had turned twenty-one. He had decided to test his tolerance to alcohol since he was of age. He had calculated exactly how much alcohol his body could take before becoming completely intoxicated. Because of that, the after effects had been… pretty bad. He had come to, around 4:00 P.M., in an empty swimming pool, belonging to an abandoned hotel. His arms had been wrapped around a plastic reindeer. It hadn't been that time of year. Black glitter had been everywhere on his body—some attached to his teeth. It had taken weeks for it to wash off. One of his shoes had gone missing. And apparently he had won a dance battle competition under the name 'The Gube,' judging from the trophy and ten thousand dollars he had found later in his actual hotel room. Also, the bathroom of his hotel room had been defaced with mathematical equations. The solutions to those equations, though correct, all had 'bitchin!' attached. Permanent marker had been used. To this day, he still had no idea what had exactly happened that night.

Reid had hoped something like that would never happen again. His hopes were apparently in vain. Under the intimidating stare of Jessica Kim, he had felt the need to distract himself. Not to mention, the Holloway brothers had urged him to keep up with them. Morgan's fingers snapped several times in front of his face, bringing him back to reality. What was it with people doing that to him? A pat on the shoulder or calling his name would have sufficed. "Morgan, I don't want to talk right now. Can't you just let this go?"

"How am I supposed to let _this_ go?" He actually raised his voice, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, including Emily Prentiss, Penelope Garcia, and Jennifer Jareau. Of course the three women quickly moved over, heels clicking against the floor in their haste. "Something bad _obviously_ happened to you last night!"

"And _obviously_ I don't want to talk about it!"

"Talk about what?" JJ questioned.

"Nothing," Reid denied. Morgan was quick to spin his chair around so that the three women could see his face. All of them gasped, clearly shocked. The young genius sighed heavily, mentally promising to deliver a payback beyond anything Morgan had ever dealt with before. The last thing he had wanted was to be treated like a child. His hopes were in vain. His female coworkers were currently treating him like a _baby_. Their coddling only further irritated his hangover. Or maybe he was just irritated by their sudden maternal behavior. "Seriously-" He had to swat away their hands. "I'm fine, and this isn't any of your business." All four of them frowned. Reid almost let out a sigh.

"It becomes our business when you're hurt, Spence," JJ stated, crossing her arms.

"But I'm not hurt. I'm not experiencing any pain," Reid replied. Morgan flicked his cheek, causing his pain sensors to trigger. "_OW_! Morgan!"

"Looks like someone's experiencing pain," Emily said. She, too, crossed her arms. "And you, of all people, are late." Clearly, the blond and brunette were going to ignore the fact that he didn't want to talk right now. "Tell us what happened to you, Reid."

"He was fine last night. What happened between here and home?" Garcia questioned. "Turning down _Sweeny Todd_—I should have known something was amiss!"

"I think it's something more than a hangover that's got him off his game," Morgan commented.

Seriously, the urge to bang his head against his keyboard was becoming increasingly hard to control. Fortunately, his work phone rang, interrupting the interrogation and distracting him from causing more pain to his already sore body. Quickly, Reid picked up the phone, choosing to completely ignore his coworkers. It was the front desk. Apparently, he had a visitor. His gaze focused on his black watch. It was already thirty-nine minutes after twelve. He hadn't even realized how late it had been. Suddenly, it felt as though his heart rate increased more than it should have. It was her. She was here. Swallowing hard, Reid confirmed her arrival and said that it was alright to send her up.

He sighed. It came out as a shudder. This was it. The moment he both anticipated and dreaded would take place so very soon. She would appear in front of him again. Kelly Holloway. Reid shut his eyes for a moment, hand still gripping the receiver. This situation—it was all unclear to him. What had happened last night? Something good? Something bad? As uncertain as he was, the profiler wished for a more positive reunion. She would smile, kiss his cheek, and welcome him back. That was only his imagination, though. He was almost sure that she wouldn't do any of those things. What could he do? He had no idea how she felt at the moment, meaning her reaction to him couldn't be pinpointed. What would she say? What would she do? Reid hadn't been this uncertain about the woman since they first began dating. Standing from his chair, the genius continued to ignore the members of his team in favor of getting away. Cowardice; admittedly, that is what he was feeling at the moment. He didn't want to delay this any longer, but at the same time, he did. More than anything, he disliked being confused.

All four stared at his departing back with looks of confusion on their faces. "Why…? Why is he being like this?" Garcia pouted. Her hand reached out, fingers motioning to grab. "My precious genius…!"

"It is strange, isn't it?" Prentiss murmured. "He's been acting weird for weeks and now he comes in like this? I'm worried it's going to get worse at this rate."

"Whatever it is that's bothering him probably has something to do with whoever is coming to meet him," JJ assumed.

"It's that woman," Morgan said. "It has to be."

"That woman…?" Garcia repeated. A look of understanding crossed her face before she rolled her eyes. "Oh, you've really got to let that one go, babe."

"Yeah, Morgan. So she beat your ass—it's okay to move on," Prentiss encouraged. The man's eyebrows furrowed, showing his annoyance.

"First off, she did not 'beat' my ass. Second, it's not even about that!" The three women wore looks of disbelief. "It's not!" Morgan repeated indignantly. The computer specialist patted his shoulder reassuringly as she rolled her eyes. This only caused JJ and Prentiss to giggle. The man shrugged off his friend's hand and motioned towards the exit. "It is her." The giggles stopped as the women turned their full attention towards the woman.

Kelly Holloway halted her advancement, looking around. She had a visitor's pass attached to her jacket. Judging from her appearance, she had just come from work. She looked more tired than Reid did. Further indication of that is the yawn she didn't bother to cover up. Her finger wiped at the corner of her eye, catching the bit of liquid that squeezed through. Then she froze before slowly turning. Reid must have called out to her because he walked over to her. The two stood, not entirely looking each other in the eye. Kelly had even taken a step back when Reid had averted his gaze to the floor.

"Is it just me or do they seem _so_ awkward… that _I_ feel awkward just looking that them?" Garcia asked, furrowing her brow.

"It's not just you," JJ murmured. "Its way different from the last time I saw them interact."

"Maybe they had their first fight and this is the stage where they kiss and make up after the awkwardness?" Prentiss shrugged.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"… I'm going to say _no_," Morgan said in the stunned silence that followed the woman's shout.

Just minutes before, Reid had stood in the restroom of the sixth floor. He stared at his reflection. It was worse than he thought. Not only was there a black eye, but his jaw was badly bruised as well. His fingers lightly touched the dark spot. He winced, pulling his fingers away. Weird. He would have thought it would hurt to speak, yet it was only tender to the touch. Reid sighed, dropping his hand. He leaned on the sink, pressing his forehead against the cool glass, and then squeezed his eyes shut.

Sighing through his nose, the profiler reared his head back from the mirror. He couldn't do this anymore. Hiding, running away—he wouldn't do it anymore. Before, he remembered that he told himself that he needed to see her. A chance had arrived and he was in the restroom? Reid opened his eyes. His reflection frowned back at him as if disappointed with his cowardly actions. Well, that wouldn't happen anymore. He couldn't stand this feeling of uncertainty and fear any longer. Righting the wrong he had done needed to happen today. Because…

"_I need her,"_ Reid thought.

Every memory he shared with the woman flooded his mind. Every smile, every expression, every laugh, every word, every touch, every idiosyncrasy—everything about her, he remembered, wanted, and needed. Now that he had experienced something like this, he didn't want to let it go, especially not because of a mistake. Without Kelly, his life wouldn't be the same. Of course it wouldn't. Whether it would be good or bad, he didn't want the change. He wanted Kelly. He couldn't let her slip away.

Reid sighed out again, and then moved away from the sink. By now, she was on this floor, searching for him. Swallowing hard, the profiler stifled his fears and exited the restroom. Though he had resigned himself to meeting with her, that didn't stop his legs from feeling as though they were moving through the sea as he walked down the hall towards the elevators. He finally passed the elevators and turned towards the office space. Then, he saw her back. He recognized her right away. Besides the work uniform, her rear end was a giveaway. Just because he knew that part of her body well didn't make him some pervert. He just _knew_, that's all.

"Kelly!" He called out to her, and then cleared his throat. Reid quickened his pace even though he noticed that her body went rigid. She turned, greeting him with a simple nod. It wasn't what he wanted, but at least he was given this chance. He stopped walking and gave a slight smile. He didn't know how long he stared, but it must have been longer than it needed to be because she looked away. "How… How are you?" he asked. Kelly took a step back. His eyebrows knitted together. Why…? Her body language was so distant.

"I have a headache," she answered. "It wasn't a good day at work for me, so if you don't mind, I'd like to get this whole thing over with." Her arm outstretched, palm upturned. Reid's eyelids lowered, staring at her hand. "My keys—give me _all_ of them please. I already know where you parked it, so there's no need to tell me where it is."

"I…" He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out her set of silver and gold keys. The set was snatched away before he could continue.

"Then… goodbye," Kelly spoke softly. Then she stepped to the side, intending to go around him to get back to the elevator. She wasn't going to let him speak? No… Reid swallowed. No, that couldn't happen. Without really thinking, he reached out, wanting to stop her from leaving. As soon as his hand touched her shoulder, she roughly pulled away and screamed out. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" The genius was at a loss for words now. Her shout not only caused him to recoil, but it also caused many people to stop what they were doing and look. In the silence that followed, Reid couldn't help but think he had felt this before. That time he had followed Morgan's advice. Like before, he hadn't been able to suppress his feeling of rejection. It was also the same with her. She had looked… so full of fear. Now, it appeared as though tears might fall from her eyes. "Don't… Don't touch me…" Kelly backed away again, and then rushed past.

Numbness. He felt so numb. Why…? Why had she reacted in that way? Reid stared blankly at the spot where she had been. It was as though she was _afraid_ of him. _"No…"_ he thought. What had happened to make her react that way to him? What had he done to her? It wasn't like Kelly to behave this way. Running away wasn't in her nature. So why? _"Don't go…"_ Other than fear, could there have been _hate_? Did she despise him? He didn't like this feeling. This feeling of dread, confusion, and rejection threatened to overwhelm him. _"Don't leave…!" _This must have been what she had felt. This was punishment. He deserved this, too. Still… Still… He couldn't let it end this way. He had to move. He had to reach her. More than anything, this situation needed to be resolved properly. _"Kelly!"_

Finally, his body moved, turning to follow after her. No matter what, he couldn't allow her to slip though his fingers. He ran towards the closing elevator door. Admittedly, he had considered it a few times in the past, thinking he wasn't good enough for her. Thinking she deserved better than him had only made her angry, though. He had believed being selfless would make things easier, but… Reid now realized that he wanted to be selfish when it came to her. He wanted her. He needed her. He…

Reid missed being crushed by the metal doors by a mere inch. However, in his haste to avoid the door, he tripped and fell forward. A gasp escaped her lips as her back hit the wall. Instinctively, his arms shot out in an effort to catch himself. His hands ended up slamming against the wall on either side of Kelly's body. He panted and so did she. Her fingers gripped her jacket, where the fabric covered her chest. Centimeters away from touching her, he decided to maintain the short distance. He didn't want her to react in the same manner again. He needed to know why. The longer they stared into each other's eyes, the more certain Reid became. He couldn't let this go. Not this.

The elevator signaled that it had reached a designated floor. It was too soon for the elevator to reach the first level, though. Quickly, Reid pushed himself from the wall and stood beside the woman. Luckily he had. The doors opened and three people moved to get on. Because their breathing was still elevated, they were given curious glances. They were merely glances, though. The elevator began to move again, this time from the fourth floor. Slowly, their breathing returned to normal. "I'm sorry…" he whispered. She shut her eyes and turned her head away. "But I just want to talk to you. Please give me a chance." Kelly remained silent. Even when the elevator came to the first floor, she did not respond. The doors opened and the people walked out, including her. "I'll wait!" She stopped in the doorway. "I'll wait for you. I'll keep the door unlocked for you. Just come."

Still, she did not reply to him. Her head turned to the right slightly as though she might have looked at him out of the corner of her eye. After a moment, she continued walking. Reid watched her go until the doors finally closed. Here it was again. This feeling of drowning had come back, almost making him lose his balance all together. His chest felt so tight. Breathing seemed to become a hard thing to do. Maybe he shouldn't have done this…

His uncertainty and anxiety only increased.

0-0

Expectedly, his team had demanded to know what the confrontation had been about. Ultimately, he had snapped at them for it. They had pretty much left him alone after that. Hotch and Rossi, who hadn't seen the altercations, could still sense there was something off with his behavior, even more so than before. However, they had sense enough not to question any of the younger members of the team about it. He had left without a word of goodbye. Chances were that they wouldn't remain silent for long. Each of them cared too much. After being together for so long, professionalism and personal matters had blurred.

Reid sighed, closing his eyes. This wasn't working at all. He just couldn't get immersed in reading. Before today, he could do that. It had been his way of escaping. However, his mind and body were much to tense to lose himself to literature. It had been his doing, too. But he wouldn't take it back. It had to happen. This needed to happen. The profiler genius closed his book. The unedited text of _Romeo and Juliet _would have to wait another time. He stood up from his couch, heading over to the window. It was raining heavily outside. Having not noticed the sudden change in weather, Reid frowned. _"She's… not coming," _he thought. It was only three minutes before midnight. Kelly disliked the rain. She hated the cold. Most likely, she wouldn't go out of her way to get here in such bothersome weather. _"Should I call?"_

Doing that would most likely prove to be a bad idea. Kelly was the type of person whom didn't want to be bothered while thinking deeply. He had been scolded a few times in the past whilst she had been writing. He found himself smiling, though. She had always made it up to him some way. Sighing, Reid toyed with the key hanging around his neck by a chain through his clothes. She would have to come eventually. Sooner or later, she would realize that all of her keys hadn't been returned to her. He hadn't necessarily kept it from her. He had only been too distracted to even think of adding his copy of her house key to the set. Or perhaps, subconsciously, he hadn't wanted to return his gift. Doing so would mean admitting that the trust Kelly had in him had been superficial and that it didn't truly mean a thing. That wasn't true… for either side.

He realized, or at least inferred, that Kelly was experiencing similar feelings because of her best friend's ranting last night. She hadn't been completely unaffected as he had previously believed. It made sense. In the year he had known her, Reid had found that she was a strong woman. There was no doubt in his mind. However, that was _something_ like a performance. She did have a softer side, and only a select few knew of it, himself included. Conversely, he was also among the fewer whom knew of her colder side.

_I see… Then please, remove me from that title. Completely._

Reid roughly rubbed at his mouth and jaw, recalling the last words she had spoken before the separation. He hadn't seen her face, but her expression must have been as indifferent as her voice. The genius lightly touched his chest. Every time he remembered that incident, his respiratory system felt as though it wasn't working properly—as though the ribcage didn't expand when the diaphragm contracted like it was supposed to. How could he have made such a mistake? The profiler shook his head. This time, there was no use in dwelling on his mistake. He had already decided that the mistake had to be corrected.

"_It looks like it won't be happening tonight, though,"_ Reid thought. Once again, he shook his head. _"If she won't come to me, I'll have to go to her."_ The man left the window and headed towards the door, grabbing his jacket from the coat hanger. He stopped just before grasping the doorknob. His fingers twitched. It was minutes after midnight now. Most likely, he would be sent away with harsh words. Maybe he should wait until tomorrow, or perhaps until Saturday. No. That would be avoiding the situation again. Thinking this way would only hold him back. Swallowing hard, Reid grabbed and turned the knob, pulling the door open.

What he saw on the other side of the door made him freeze completely stunned. Standing there was the woman who plagued his thoughts and dreams. "Kelly…" He breathed out her name. Her fingers uncurled and her arm fell to her side, hand having been poised to knock. "You're… You're here." She shifted her gaze to his shoes. That's when he noticed the water droplets falling from her body. She was soaked from her dark hair to her black flats. She was still in her work uniform. Strange. Kelly had liked to change out of her 'prison' clothes as quickly as possible. Reid snapped out of his observation before it could transition into full blown profiler mode. He stepped aside. "Come in…" He cleared his throat. "You could have just come in."

For a brief moment, Kelly didn't move. When she did, it was a slow step forward. She continued to move in this manner until she stood on the carpet portion of his floor. Reid shut the door and slowly turned to face her. However, her back was to him. The profiler placed his jacket back on the coat hanger, barely registering that it had missed the hook and fell to the floor. At the moment, most of his attention was on the woman. Reid reached out to the woman, but his fingers curled. He shook his head and stated that he was going to look for clean towels. She did not speak even as he moved past her.

When he returned, three towels in hand, he saw that Kelly had sat down on the couch. She had removed her shoes. Reid sat down beside her. She wouldn't meet his gaze as she took one towel from him. Disregarding her clothes, the young woman wiped at her exposed skin. The profiler frowned, and then covered her head with another towel. Expectedly, she stopped moving. "If your hair stays damp like this, you could get sick—it's the same with your clothes. Just drying your skin won't help."

"I can take care of myself," Kelly murmured. Her statement caused Reid to take his hand from her head. He knew that. He had known from the start. She had never needed anyone—especially not him. After a moment of silence between the two, the novelist spoke again. "I was in the middle of something before I came here." She began attempting to dry her hair. "Say what you need to say, Reid, so I can go."

"_Reid…?" _he repeated in thought. Kelly was actually trying to put more and more distance between them. He was used to members of his team referring to him by his last name. Hearing it coming from her wasn't the same. He didn't like it. The profiler's fingers curled into fists. She hadn't noticed because her eyelids were shut, seemingly ignoring him. "I… I initially wanted to know what happened last night. I wanted to know the reason why I woke up in your house. But that doesn't matter, does it?" She didn't answer. She wasn't supposed to. It had been a rhetorical question. "Now, I just want you to understand that what happened that day had been a mistake." Reid didn't need to explain what day he meant. He could tell by the way she twitched that she knew exactly what day he was referring to.

"A mistake…?" she replied, not bothering to look at him. "So what? What's that got to do with anything right now?"

"… Why are you purposefully being this way when I'm trying to make amends?"

"Does being cold not work for you?" Kelly pulled the towel from her head. For the first time since she had arrived, her brown eyes stared into his. "Being a genius profiler, and yet you don't understand what I'm doing? Should I go the opposite route and be blunt?" She laughed a humorless laugh. "Then I'll be clear. I'm not interested in you trying to make amends. No matter what you say… We're done. The relationship we had is already over." No matter how hard he swallowed, Reid could not quell the feeling of nausea. "Do you understand now? The only reason I came here is because you still have my key, and my body refused to go to sleep knowing that."

"Kelly…"

"So after you're done talking to me, return what's mine and don't appear in front of me again," she continued, averting her gaze again. She wiggled her feet into her shoes. "Don't speak to my brothers or my friends. I know you can't forget, but pretend that we never met. Pretend I don't exist and return to your life before me."

"So this was your intention all along? Even if I were to say that it was a mistake that I took out my confusion and frustration on you, it wouldn't matter?" Reid questioned. It felt as though his heart had stopped, yet he persisted. "Even if I were to say that I couldn't understand why you didn't leave me after you found out about my family, it wouldn't mean anything to you? Even if I were to say that I had believed you would think less of me if you knew that I barely visit my mother and never speak to my father, it wouldn't _change_ anything? Even if I were to say that I had been so afraid of losing you that I hadn't mentioned them once, you wouldn't care?" It was getting harder to breathe again. "Even if I were to explain clearly and have you understand, you'd still-"

"That's right. Those things don't matter," Kelly replied. She shut her eyes again. "We have nothing to do with each other anymore."

He couldn't believe it. Admittedly, he didn't want to believe it. This woman had been warm and affectionate towards him before. Was that really over now? If they happen to pass one another on the street, she wouldn't even turn and look? Reid didn't want that. He couldn't handle that. His legs trembled at the mere thought. "I don't know what to do," he whispered. "Kelly…" She looked at him, and suddenly, he was kissing her. Over and over again, his lips met hers. His hands cupped her cheeks even as she tried to pull away. "Tell me what to do," he said in between kissing her. "Tell me what to do, _huh_? I'll fix it. I'll fix this… Just… Just tell me what to do." As desperate as he must have sounded, he really had no idea what he should do in order for her to forgive him. Reid rested his forehead against hers. It was as if his body had gone through a strenuous exercise. He panted even though he had only done simple movements. "Kelly." She hadn't responded. She had stopped trying to pull away, too. She only sat there, staring blankly at him. "Say-Say something! You're making insane!"

Her eyelids lowered as did her chin and gaze. "I hate it," Kelly muttered. Reid's body tensed again. She turned away from him. His hands fell. "I hate it so much. I hate that you weren't a one night stand like you were supposed to be." The profiler felt her jaw clenched. "I hate that I think of you. I hate that one thought of you either makes my day or completely destroys it. I hate that I think I need you when I don't know where you are…" He saw the tears welling in her eyes. "I hate that you make me _feel_ this way!" Her eyes squeezed shut as she continued speaking. She didn't notice the tears had fallen. "I hate that you tempt so much. After that day, I was angry and confused all the time and I didn't know why." A sob actually escaped her lips. "And now… And now… I'm just scared." More tears fell. Kelly covered her mouth. "So just let me go. Let me go so I can stop feeling like this! I hate it!"

"No." He couldn't do that because he understood now. "I have no intention of letting you go." Kelly roughly wiped at her face, using the towel. She abruptly stood up, throwing the towel on the floor. Without a word, she moved towards the door. "Wait!" She didn't. Reid clenched his fists. He couldn't let her leave.

Just as she opened the door, he stood up and hurriedly slammed the door shut. Just as quickly, he wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides. She began to struggle against him. The genius only squeezed his eyes shut and held on tighter. "What? You're not letting go?" She struggled so much that they both fell to the floor. Still, he couldn't… He _wouldn't_. "Let me go! Let me go!" With her constant struggling and screaming, she was definitely going to tire herself out. He hoped that it would occur before his neighbors called the police. This is a situation that he didn't want to explain. Eventually, her violent jerks to move away from him decreased until she lay still in his arms. "Okay… Okay… On three, if you let me go, I won't retaliate." Her threat didn't seem all that threatening now that she was trying to catch her breath. "One… T-Two-"

"If you really wanted to escape from me," Reid began. "Then you _would_ have." Slowly, his arms released her. She moved, trying to crawl away. He hastily moved on top of her, fingers gripping her arms. With renewed vigor, she began to struggle again. "It's the same!" Fortunately, she halted. "And if you go, these feelings we're having won't go away. They will overwhelm us and we will be stuck at this point for a long time." He swallowed hard, almost wishing it hadn't come to this ultimatum. "If you don't want that, don't run away from this anymore. Don't run away from _me_ anymore."

Kelly stopped moving. "Damn… Damn it." Her voice had cracked as she spoke. "Yo-You bad jerk. I told you I didn't want to cry again!" Again, Reid released her. "Get off me…" He bit his lower lip before doing so. The woman sat up, and then turned her eyes on him. More tears had fallen. She lowered her chin and squeezed her eyes shut again. The man nodded his head, agreeing with her.

"_Mn_… I am a bad jerk, but I won't hurt you again," Reid stated. He then cupped her cheeks again, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. Hesitantly, Kelly opened her eyes and met his gaze. "You don't have to be afraid." She tensed as he moved in to kiss her again. Gradually, though, she relaxed against his touch. He reared back a bit, staring into her eyes. She whimpered his name. It was a relief to hear his first name come from her mouth. That mouth… Reid lowered his gaze to her lips. This enticing mouth that haunted his dreams, it was finally within his reach again. Letting it go wasn't an option anymore.

His hands fell from her cheeks and slipped her jacket from her shoulders. Kelly shuddered, feeling the weight of her soaked jacket falling from her body and the air hitting her skin. Reid lightly kissed her neck as his fingers unbuttoned the first button of her white blouse. She gasped, grabbing his wrists. He swallowed, and then focused on her face. "I-" He interrupted what she was going to say by kissing her again. She moaned, feeding into his desire for her. Her grip on his wrists loosened to the point where he could slip out of her hold. Without warning, he pulled the front of her shirt open. Not one button fell to the floor. It was her work uniform. He couldn't just damage it.

Reid pulled away again, leaving them both panting. He wrapped an arm around her, moving her away from the door. That's when he noticed. There were several blotches—darker than her skin—all over her chest. "Wh-What…?" He licked his lips and furrowed his brow. Now that he got a good look, the marks seemed to extend much further than just her torso. "Did-"

"Who _else_ would I allow to do this?" Kelly raised her voice a bit, stepping forward. "Payback time, don't you think?" This was it. This was the woman he missed, wanted, and desperately needed. And she felt the same. Her eyes moved up and down, examining his body. With a hawk's stare, she watched him. "I can't take it anymore." Reid's mouth parted. "I want you." She leaned forward before capturing him again.

0-0

This was the first time. Reid stared, almost in fascination, at her sleeping face. He had awoken countless times to her sleeping face. Well, he could actually count the number of times. It was just another number he kept track of. However, no matter the number of times, this was the first time she looked so relaxed. He kissed her cheek and reared back with a smile. This was nice—seeing her so relaxed beside him. His thumb lightly caressed her bottom lip. She groaned lightly and turned on her side, draping an arm around him. Her brow furrowed before her expression loosened again.

Reid pressed his forehead against hers. She must have been exhausted—both emotionally and physically. It must have happened simultaneously. Having everything be released at once, knowing her, something like that probably didn't happen before. It was a wonder why he, too, wasn't still sleeping. Admittedly, his stamina had improved since he had been with Kelly Holloway. Floor, couch, kitchen, wall, bed, bedroom floor—going on like that, he should have been as tired as her. It felt different somehow—different from the other times. Perhaps the difference lied in the fact that they both had realized the change in their relationship. The genius shifted his gaze to the ceiling, sighing out. Even though things turned out like this, her tears still had him worried.

_DON'T TOUCH ME!_

_And now… And now… I'm just scared._

He didn't quite understand the reason for her reactions. It was obvious that she had felt fear, but why…? What was she so afraid of? Reid turned his eyes back to the sleeping woman. "Kelly," Reid whispered. Then he repeated her name in a louder tone of voice. She groaned again, holding onto him tighter. "Kelly… Its three hours after noon. We can't stay on the floor all day." Expectedly, her eyes shot open. In her mind, she had wasted time as she could have been writing. That's just how she was. Immediately, she separated herself from him. However, she didn't get very far due to his arm around her. Her protest only caused Reid to sit up and pull her into his lap. With her back pressed against his chest, she had calmed down.

"Wh-What?"

"We didn't have a chance to really talk. Let's go that now," Reid replied. Several moments went by in silence after he spoke. He could only assume that the woman was trying to think what say.

Kelly sighed heavily, becoming limp against him. "Do you want to know then?" she questioned. "I assume that you do since you've become this way. Since you've become so selfish." The genius furrowed his brow. "I lied…" she admitted. "But the truth…" Her palm tapped her chest three times before her fingers curled. She shut her eyes. "My body, my mind, couldn't take it. Nowhere in my life have I ever experienced something like this. So I wanted to run away. Is it really that strange that I tried to get away from… this unknown feeling?"

"It's not the unknown feeling that you tried to run away from. It's that you knew that you couldn't control it," Reid stated. Kelly opened her eyes and stared up at him. "I know you, and I know the thing you fear the most is losing control. Even you know… that being in love is something you can't control." Her eyes widened. The expression she wore told him that she was surprised that he knew. "I told you before—it's the same. I already confirmed it."

"Then…"

"Yes." His hold on her became a bit tighter. "I want you."

"I need you."

"I love you."

After speaking in unison, the two merely stared. Then Kelly shifted her gaze elsewhere. "How…?" he asked. She immediately answered that he had said the same words to her yesterday. "When I was… intoxicated?" Kelly nodded her head, and then said that he had repeated himself over and over again. Reid felt himself flushing despite the fact that all of it was true. "What else did I-" He cleared his throat. "-say?" She actually smirked. As she told him all the things he had said and done, his expression became more and more mortified. "I _raped_ you?" For the first time in what seemed like a long time, Kelly smiled and laughed.

"What? You don't care that you started a bar fight?" she asked.

"Rape is more heinous than fighting!"

She did it again. Hearing her laughter brought a smile to his face despite the fact that he had committed a horrid crime. The woman turned and forced him down. "Then… should I rape you?" she asked. "It's been a long time, almost a year since I raped you, hasn't it? But I'm sure I still know how." Before he could protest—clearly, she was changing the subject—Kelly kissed him, ignoring his muffled words. Admittedly, he enjoyed the kiss as much as she. Despite that they still needed to clear the misunderstandings, it didn't stop his arms from encircling her waist. Still… They couldn't go on this way.

Reid lifted himself into a sitting position and reluctantly ended the addicting kiss. "Kelly," he began. She nearly whined as she moved in to kiss him again. His fingers reached up and pressed against her lips before she could make contact. He swallowed hard, shaking his head. "Kelly, we're not done talking. I need to know why you reacted that way to me." She frowned. "It couldn't be because I took advantage of you in my intoxicated state. I know that's not the reason now. Your reaction was much worse than before. Tell me."

"…" She moved again, this time pulling away. "Since we're talking about reactions," she began. "Your reaction after seeing your father—can you clearly explain your reasons? It can't be just one, right?"

"That…" Reid swallowed hard.

"You were saying something about your family…"

"Honestly," he began, shifting his gaze. "I had been afraid… I'm still afraid. You don't remember, but after we met your family, you implied that you wanted to meet my parents. It had been at that time that I began to have that fear. You, a woman that values family so much, knowing that I barely speak to mine wouldn't… I thought you would think less of me and ultimately leave me because of that." Kelly didn't respond, so he went on. "Also… more than anything, I didn't want you to find out about my mother's condition."

"Why?"

He looked at her again. She wore such a confused expression. Reid found himself frowning. "It's…" He suddenly felt at a loss for words. Just like before, he didn't understand how to respond to this situation. "You must know that her condition is heredity. One day, I could be in the same state. Doesn't that matter?" Her mouth opened and closed several times, and then she burst with laughter. She hugged her body and fell forward, forehead pressed hard against the floor. Normally, he would like the sound of her laugh, but at the moment, he felt a bit annoyed with it. The genius crawled over to the giggling woman. After several times of calling out to her, Kelly finally lifted herself in an upright position.

"It's so funny when things don't compute with you," she said, grinning. Reid's eyebrow twitched, but other than that, he didn't react. This wasn't the first time he was compared to artificial intelligence. "You're so smart, but you didn't come up with 'Oh, she's loves me too much', did you?" His eyes widened. It's true. He hadn't thought of that. With a small smile on her face, Kelly closed her eyes. She looked relieved. "Actually, after meeting your dad, I thought so much about what he told me. Now that you mention it, I'm surprised myself that I didn't once think of separating from you. Maybe in the beginning if I had learned of your circumstance with your parents, I would have left not wanting to deal with it, but… It's too late for something like that."

"Kelly…"

"Spencer, don't be confused anymore. Don't be afraid anymore," she continued. "The reason I gave you that key, the reason I seemingly ignored what I heard is because I'm in love with you. At this point, I'm something my mother would call a 'ride or die chick.' You could tell me anything and I'd… still-" Maybe he shouldn't have interrupted her, but the things she was saying—in the beginning of their relationship, Kelly wouldn't say these things. So then, this entire time, he hadn't been the only one changing. They had affected _each other_. It wasn't one-sided as he had thought in the past. Reid slowly reared back, opening his eyes again. "Spencer…"

"It's the same," he stated. "We're the same… so tell me." She bit her lower lip, a sign that she was still hesitant on telling him. "Kelly." He took her hand and stood up, bring her up with him. The genius guided her over to his bed. She sat down beside him. A sigh came from her mouth. He did not release her hand. Finally, she started.

"Look, Spencer, I… Before we met, I wasn't what people would call a good girl," Kelly began. "I… did things that most would consider… heartless. When I was younger, I knew what I wanted to do. As far back as I remember, I wanted to become a writer. But I was young and inexperienced—naïve." She squeezed his hand. "But after I was hurt… My naivety faded and… I became indifferent to others' situations and feelings. I used people to further my experiences. I manipulated them into doing what I wanted them to do all to further my experiences and to find different scenarios. And I was good at it—controlling people. Apparently, though, I hadn't become completely indifferent. The ones who had hurt me, I found them, and I hurt them back."

"Your bullies in middle school?"

"Yes… Among my classmates, there were two… Adam Ledger and Sabrina Kraven," she continued. "Every day that I had encountered them, I felt inferior and humiliated. With them, my middle school life wasn't as comfortable as it should have been. So… years later when they had forgotten what they had done to me—forgotten me entirely—that is when I found them. They had gotten married—high school sweethearts. Perhaps if they didn't seem so happy, I wouldn't have felt the need to make them uncomfortable… I used their love for each other against them, and I broke them a part. How I did it is not what matters, but the fact that I used _love_ to do it does. I played around with love, so what gives me the right to fall in love now? I'm scared that this… will be snatched away from me, so I wanted to run away before that happened."

"Do you still want to run away?" Reid asked.

"No… No," she whispered. Her gaze settled on him. "Even if I wanted to, I don't think I can run anymore… But can you still be with me now that you know-"

"Yes," he immediately answered. "Intense feelings can't just disappear so quickly… I've tried." The man sighed. "Kelly, I understand why, but you feeling guilty about it—it's enough already. You can move on." He moved his arms around her. "We all have something that we're guilty about, and yet life goes on. I love you, and if you love me, too, then we shouldn't deny that, right?" Kelly nodded her head once. She reared her head back, staring into his eyes. Reid smiled, cheeks growing warm. "Just… Just so we're clear… this does mean we're together again, right?"

For his question, he was awarded a soft kiss.

0-0

I am sooooo glad this chapter is over! Now I can focus on the chapter I've really wanted to do, without guilt! The next chapter will, hopefully, be similar to an actual _Criminal Minds_ episode. I am so excited to work on it. But admittedly, it will take some time seeing as how I have other stories to work on. Those certain readers are ka-ray when it comes to updating, so I'll try to calm them down. Anyway, review... like right now. You see the cool new blue button? Click it, and leave a comment or review!


	9. Unsub

_Ashland, VA_

His mother was going to maim him. After, of course, she killed his best friend for bringing him out in the first place. A friendship of eight years would come to an end due to an overprotective mother. Scott had known sneaking out of the house, on a Tuesday night, had been a bad decision on his part. However, once again, his best friend had proved to be most persuasive. Rusty had always been good with his words. Many times in the past, he had made him trade studying for fun. But what Rusty had dragged him to this time had been a little much. His mother had threatened their premature deaths plenty of times before, but perhaps this time she would make good on them. After all, what they had witnessed tonight would most likely cause unwanted stress. Scott loved his mother, and did respect her, but he realized that she was a simple-minded woman. If she felt stress, her first thought would be to get rid of it what was causing the stress. Loud, annoying toys from his childhood came to mind. Out the window they would go if they had caused too much of a ruckus. Surely, he would be going out the window this time around.

Swallowing hard, Scott reached into his jacket pocket. His first instinct had been to take off, screaming, in the opposite direction, much like Rusty had done. The guy was a thrill seeker, yet he would turn into a Scooby-Doo in a heartbeat if the situation proved to be too thrilling. _Ah_. Perhaps 'thrilling' wasn't the right word for this situation. Dangerous, maybe? Really, Scott had only heard of these things in movies or in books. Never had he encountered a man dressed from head to toe in black, discarding a body. An obviously _dead_ body. It was a wonder why he was taking all this in as calm as he was. Then again, calm wasn't necessarily it. Paralyzed was better. Under the man's unmoving gaze, Scott felt immobilized. Though, he couldn't actually see the man's eyes. They were covered with mirror-lenses goggles, of all things.

The man moved. His body now stood in front of the corpse of the blond woman. Despite the movement, Scott's own body decided that it wouldn't listen to orders coming directly from his brain at the moment. The boy swallowed again, toying with the thought of calling 911 with the cell phone in his jacket pocket. It wouldn't save him, but at least they would know where to find his body, right? The man moved again, this time in Scott's direction. _"This is it,"_ he thought. And then _"I didn't even go through puberty yet. Lame."_

Surprisingly, though, the man did not pull out a weapon of sorts. He didn't even raise a fist to strike him. He only, silently, moved past him as if he hadn't seen a young teen, fumbling with his cell phone. Scott eyes remained squeezed shut until he could no longer hear footsteps echoing. He bit his lip and slowly turned around. The street was deserted. He was alone. Was this a dream, after all? His eyes shifted back. The body of the woman was still there. She was really pale, leading him to believe she was dead in the first place. But she looked peaceful enough. Maybe she was only sleeping? He doubted that, though. He wasn't that naïve.

Still, didn't killers usually dump bodies in forests? Why would he leave his victim out in the open like this? It was late. Granted, no one came out this late at night, but it was still a _neighborhood_. Dumping a body under a streetlight didn't seem like the best option, considering everyone would notice it in the morning. Besides that, the killer also fled the scene without getting rid of witnesses. _"I really need to stop watching crime shows,"_ Scott thought. Finally, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He had begun to dial his mother's phone, but thought against it. The police needed to be alerted of this discovery. _"And this is why my only friend is Rusty."_ Other kids just weren't as smart as he was. Rusty just didn't care. Just as he was about to call up 911 emergency, something caught his eye. The dead woman had a piece of paper clutched in her left hand. Against his better judgment, Scott plucked the paper from her hand using tweezers from his back pocket. Despite Rusty's teasing, it was for hangnails, not his eyebrows. The paper had been folded in half. In black letters, there was a name. Scott's brow furrowed. Something about the name was familiar, though he couldn't place it at the moment. He didn't get a chance to examine the paper further because his cell phone had begun ringing—Rusty. He would later realize why the name had sounded so familiar.

Rosaline.

0-0

An inaudible yawn stretched the muscles of the tired genius' face, which drew the attention of his coworkers. He hadn't thought to cover his mouth. That's how exhausted his was. Reid blinked rapidly in an effort to completely wake up. However, that probably wasn't going to happen until he drank coffee. The dark liquid was still cooling down at the moment, though. In his weary state, he had made the mistake of trying to take a sip while it had been scorching hot. This had resulted in him sputtering, coughing, and generally feeling embarrassed. Mostly, he had felt irritation, though. The young profiler eyed the cup of steaming liquid before deciding to have another go at it. He needed to wake up before Hotch and Rossi showed up. A cautious sip was taken. Fortunately, his coffee had cooled down enough for consumption. It was then that one of his coworkers decided to speak up.

"Rough night…?" Morgan asked, pretending that he hadn't been observing his behavior for the past fifteen minutes. Reid might have been tired, but he could still tell when the dark-skinned man's eyes were on him. Distractedly, the genius nodded, murmuring 'long, too' before taking another sip. Apparently, that was just the answer Morgan was looking for because he grinned widely and raised his eyebrows. "I can't believe that there's still fire in that jungle after all this time!" Reid scowled as he set his cup back down. After having Morgan refer to his relationship with Kelly as Jungle Fever numerous times, he had finally found what the term meant. Of course, his coworker must have used it as a joke, but the term could also be used as a derogatory term. It hadn't been too happy about the implication. His relationship with his girlfriend was not a _fetish_, after all.

"It wasn't like that," Reid stated. He rubbed at his eye and blinked rapidly again.

"Really? As opposed to _other_ mornings you shuffle in, looking half-dead?" Morgan was quick to ask. The genius opened his mouth protest, but then realized there was a bit of truth in that. Reid snapped his mouth closed and flushed, causing the darker man to snicker. They stayed up doing other stuff as well. Honest. "Yeah. That's what I thought."

"_Um_… _ew_," Prentiss commented, though she didn't look up from whatever file she was reading. "You guys think I want to hear about Reid getting some last night?" She couldn't hide the mirth from her expression. Morgan guffawed. Grabbing his cup of coffee again, Reid took a long drink. To think Prentiss was on his side. No, she was enjoying this as much as Morgan.

"That's none of your business," he muttered, showing his half-hearted glower. "But for your information, Kelly's been sick recently. I was up all night, taking care of her. She's restless in her current state."

"Did you try warm milk? A bedtime story, maybe?"

"She's not a small child, Morgan," Prentiss rolled her eyes.

"Then she shouldn't _act_ like it," came the retort.

"Let's get started," Hotch interrupted what the dark-skinned was going to say. He, followed by Rossi and Garcia, entered the conference room. The two men sat down as the computer specialist took a seat near the large monitor. Garcia began by introducing Adam and Sabrina Ledger. She pushed a button on a remote control, causing two pictures to appear on the screen. In one, there was a male, looking to be in his early thirties. Short dark hair, green eyes, and freckles were just some of his physical features. In the second, there was a woman. She appeared to be roughly in the same age group as the man. Her brown eyes smiled as much as she did in the photo, though her fiery red hair partially covered her right eye.

"Last week, these two were found in their home by neighbors who had taken a peek through their front window. Sabrina had been brutally beaten. Adam had small scratches on his face and wrist. His blood and DNA were found underneath Sabrina's fingernails. They both died of poisoning."

"Originally, the local police filed this case as a murder-suicide. Man beats his wife, the wife fights back, only to be knocked unconscious. Feeling guilty, the man injected his wife with poison, and then himself. The evidence they collected confirmed this. However, the appearance of a third victim, Naomi Marshall, put doubts in their heads. She was killed with the same mixture of poison."

"Mixture…?" Prentiss repeated.

"Normal products that anyone could purchase at any type of grocery store. The coroner found glass cleaner, nail polish remover, eye drop solution, furniture polish, bug repellent, and a bit of antifreeze. All three victims died of the exact same mixture," Garcia supplied. She pushed another button. Another picture appeared in between the other two. The image showed a woman of Asian descent with bright hazel eyes and brown hair. Another button was pushed. This time, her dead body was shown, sitting up against a lamppost. Garcia hastily looked away as she explained that the body was found by two teenagers yesterday evening, three blocks away from the first two victims' house.

"Seriously?" Morgan's eyebrows rose as he scanned the report. "Antifreeze would have done the trick just fine. The poison was injected in their bodies with a needle in the same spot—behind their ears."

"You know Eric Hickey stated that fifty-two percent of women kill using poison. In the 16th century, poison was thought to be solely a woman's way of killing. It would be dishonorable for a man to kill using poison and he could be punished by having his manhood removed if caught," Reid stated. He chose to ignore the incredulous, slightly disturbed looks from his teammates. "If the wife wasn't beaten so badly, I would think the unsub was a woman. But since the wife died first, it would be impossible for a woman to calmly subdue the husband."

"The poison could just be a big coincidence," Rossi muttered. "That's not all what connects the victims, is it?"

"No," Garcia solemnly replied. "Not only did the murders happen on Fridays minutes before midnight, but police found a piece of paper on Naomi Marshall with the name 'Rosaline' on it. After further investigating the house of the first two victims, similar papers were found with the names 'Paris' and 'Lady Capulet.' Can anyone say why those names are familiar?"

"Romeo and Juliet," Prentiss blurted. "This guy is using _Shakespeare_ in his murders?"

"The unsub is assigning roles to his victims," Rossi raised an eyebrow. "If that's the case, we've got a lot more victims on our hands."

"So who's Romeo? And who's Juliet?" Reid questioned.

"We've got less than a week to figure it out," Morgan said.

0-0

_Reid: Emma Anzai wrote "I did my best to try and be a mirror of society. But we both know the mirror's crack and everybody's in the act."_

It was a cold day in November, prompting most of the team to subconsciously huddle closer together even though the heat was on full blast. Hotch drove the black SUV while Rossi sat comfortably in the passenger seat. Prentiss and Morgan sat behind them with Reid squashed in the in middle. Each member of the team pondered the new case that was close enough to home that the jet wasn't required. Morgan furrowed his brow as his eyes reviewed the files in his hands. "I don't get it," he said. "How is this unsub choosing his victims? You'd think it's a personal thing since he's giving roles, but the first two victims have nothing to do with the third."

"Maybe it's not personal at all," Prentiss put in. "Maybe he's just finding people to fill the roles. We could be looking at an opportunist."

"Opportunists tend not to have a plan. This all seems too planned out like a big finale is going to take place," Rossi shifted his eyes to the road as he spoke. "The unsub took the time to make it look as though the husband and wife had had an altercation, which led to their tragic end."

"You're right," Prentiss had to agree with a nod of her head. "Also, I'm starting to get the feeling these murders _were_ personal. The unsub didn't _have_ to use so many products. Like Morgan said, antifreeze could have done it. The mixture just screams overkill. And the woman was beaten before she was poisoned. Between the three victims, the most hatred seemed to focus on her. There's not even a bruise on the other woman."

"Rosaline," Morgan scratched his head. "The name sounds familiar, but I can't remember her being in that play."

"She was Romeo's first lover," Prentiss answered. "In some adaptations, she's only mentioned. In others, her role isn't used at all."

"Not exactly _lover_," Rossi stated. "In the story, Romeo became depressed because Rosaline decided to save herself."

"Then he met Juliet, right?"

"For now, let's focus on the case," Hotch interrupted the conversation. He entered the parking lot and quickly found an empty space. "We'll worry about the connection to the play at a later time. Prentiss and I will set up in the police station. Rossi will head to the coroner's. Reid and Morgan will head to the homes of the victims." The keys were given to the man behind him. With the instructions given, the team nodded and began moving out of the vehicle. Morgan, though, stopped and looked back. He had noticed that the genius hadn't budged.

"Reid," he called. There was no answer. "So you're just going to ride in the back seat then?" Still, the young profiler didn't acknowledge that someone was speaking to him. "Reid!" A bit louder, Morgan clamped a hand down on his coworker's shoulder. At this, he jumped and hastily looked around, finally zoning in on Morgan. "You alright?"

"I'm… fine," Reid answered. He crawled out of the backseat, noting that they were the only two outside at the moment. Rossi had gone in as well to escape the cold, if only for a moment. Reid focused his attention back to Morgan, whom was giving him a dubious look. "Really. I'm sure it's nothing, but I think I've heard the names of the first two victims somewhere. I've been trying to remember, that's all."

"Reid, now's not a good time for your eidetic memory to be acting up."

"Actually-" With a roll of his eyes, Morgan tried to ignore his coworker's rant. He moved into the driver's seat and shut the door. He had heard the same rant several times in the past whenever he had slipped up and commented on how Reid seemed to know everything. Morgan was sure he kept that rant at the ready, just waiting for a chance to use it again. The younger male was still talking as he closed the door and strapped himself in the passenger seat. "-So it's harder for me to remember simple things like names, especially if they don't really interest me."

"Got it, Pretty Boy," Morgan resigned. "Can we _go_ now?" Shrugging, Reid turned his gaze to the scenery outside, muttering 'I'm waiting for _you_' under his breath. That was ignored in favor of backing out of the parking lot. The genius was becoming a bit more comfortable giving playful, yet sarcastic remarks. He suspected that it had something to do with the woman he was dating. "So what do you think about these murders? Hotch said not to think about connecting the victims to their 'roles' just yet, but it won't hurt to have a foot in the door, right?"

"Hotch's right. For all we know, there's no link at all to the victims and the play at all," Reid gave his opinion. "The papers left behind could just be a subterfuge to throw the police off. The connection we need to worry about is between the victims and the unsub."

"So you think the victims aren't connected either?"

"No. They lived too differently. The first two victims were married and lived in the same house in the suburbs. The husband worked in a corporate environment. His spouse chose to be a housewife," he stated. "On the other hand, we have an exotic dancer, who lives in an apartment in the middle of the city. Generally, she would be the type that the unsub would humiliate, but her body is completely intact." Reid pulled the crime photos out and set them on the dashboard. "Look at the way their bodies are positioned. The unsub didn't care how he left the first two." As he said, the first victim, Adam, lay sprawled on the floor face first. His wife's body had been left on the stairs, also face down. "But with the third victim, the unsub chose to move the body from the location she was killed and leave her out for the public to see so that she could be discovered quickly. Most likely she was killed somewhere near her home, or perhaps in her home, and she was brought here. I think going to her apartment would tell us the most concerning her connection to the unsub."

"_Hm_."

Suddenly, the young profiler's cell phone began ringing. Reid moved the photos before fumbling to take his phone out of his jacket pocket. He had recognized the number, but didn't know what the person was calling him at this point in time. "Hello…?" His greeting was met by loud, heavy panting, causing Reid's eyebrows to knit together. Finally, he heard a voice.

"I can _see_ you, Spencer Reid," he said in the most obnoxious creepy voice.

"Kevin, I know it's you," Reid almost rolled his eyes. The younger man sighed and pouted at the same time. "Why are you calling me now?" Kevin cleared his throat, and then explained. Apparently, he had stopped by Kelly's to check on her for a bit. And he wanted to help his baby sister. "Right…" Kevin continued speaking. "Yes… I'm not sure, really… The second one, I think… _No_! That's not why… Now, you're just being ridiculous… Did you try putting it in the other way? … No, I wouldn't recommend that… Yes… Okay… Right, right… Tell her I'll see her soon… Yes… I-I love you, too. Bye." When he ended the call, he just _felt_ Morgan's eyes on him. He knew the amused grin was there, too, without having to look.

"How come I never get an 'I love you, too,' Reid? I mean we've been teammates for yea-"

"Just _drive_, Morgan!" He couldn't stop the increase of pitch in his voice or the flushing of his cheeks.

0-0

The two profilers had arrived at the third victim's apartment in less than thirty minutes. It would have taken less time if Morgan had just listened to the directions Reid had graciously given him. The bigger built man had chosen to ignore his coworker's complaining as he made his way over to the investigating officers. He introduced himself, and then his companion, whom had already begun to look around the small apartment after retrieving a pair of blue latex gloves. "Right, so what have you found out about the third victim?" Morgan asked the man. Detective Rolland—an older man with an obvious beer belly. His graying hair had been giving a buzz cut, probably in an effort to appear younger. It didn't help much.

"Not much, really," came the gruff reply. "Neighbors say that she barely went out in the daytime. Yesterday, they heard loud foreign music coming from here. They said it was odd because she was generally quiet and kept to herself, but yesterday she played her music loudly in the middle of the day."

"Foreign?" Morgan repeated.

"Yeah, her surrounding neighbors said it sounded like Chinese."

"Japanese, actually," Reid corrected, without looking away from the shelf he was examining. He touched one of the CD cases before tugging it from the row. It wasn't an official CD. White paper was the cover and permanent marker was used. The title was in Japanese characters—hiragana was used. The artist's name, however, was written in English—Gackt. There was also an internet emoticon—a smiling face. "Naomi Marshall's grandmother is half Japanese. Her parents both died in plane crash, leading her grandparents to raise her. There's evidence all over this apartment that says she grew up being taught about her Asian ancestry."

The detective merely stared.

"How-"

"It's best not to ask," Morgan interrupted.

Reid placed the CD back where he had found it. He moved towards the bedroom. The victim was a neat freak. Everything in this apartment was arranged in an orderly fashion. It was personalized with decorations, but still pretty tidy. There was no evidence of a struggle, and no forced entry. Perhaps she hadn't been killed here? The profiler fully opened the door to the victim's room. Just like her living room, everything was in order here as well. Well, almost everything. The bed hadn't been made. It was more than a bit peculiar, considering the appearance of the rest of the apartment. A pink pillow was also on the floor as though it had been carelessly knocked over.

Morgan entered the room, taking a glance around. He raised his eyebrow. He, too, noticed the bed. Walking over to the side of the bed, he lowered himself into a squat. A gloved hand lightly touched the mattress before he tugged at the comforter. "There was a man here," he announced. Reid's brow furrowed.

"What makes you so sure?" he asked.

"Her bed is the only thing out of the ordinary here," Morgan explained, standing to his full height. He turned and left the room, leaving Reid to follow after him. They stopped outside of the bathroom. "I have experience with women like her, and there's only one reason why her bed is the only thing messed up. She had someone else in her bed before she died, and besides-"

"I'm pretty sure there could be other reasons."

"Besides," he continued, forcing himself not to roll his eyes. "There's a faint smell of cologne. And I'm sure that-" He opened the door all the way, revealing a nearly spotless bathroom. Once again, the place was tidy. The only thing odd was the toilet's seat was up. Reid raised his brow. "Yup, it's up. A man was definitely here." The profiler narrowed his eyes, taking in the appearance of the rest of the bathroom. "I'm guessing she was killed here," he stated. Reid nodded his head in agreement. There were signs of a struggle taking place here. Plastic bottles, a toothbrush, and other things had been knocked onto the floor, having fell from the sink. The shower curtain had been pulled down somewhat as well. "This guy is most likely our unsub. Unfortunately, no one saw anyone else enter her apartment. I don't think this guy was a boyfriend since these two rooms were the only places there are things out of place, but something's telling me that he wasn't a complete stranger either."

"You're right. Complete strangers wouldn't be allowed to roam the house for this woman. Judging from her apartment, her personality is pretty cautious when it comes to having people over." The younger profiler was about to state something else, but Detective Rolland cleared his throat before he began. He practically strutted over to the two profilers.

"You gentlemen might want to see this," Rolland suggested, and then turned on his heel, expecting the agents to follow after him. They did. The three ended up in the living room again. Unlike before, there was a rather large book on the coffee table. "Found this yearbook in between the cushions of the couch. So I figure she must have been looking at it or showing it to someone."

"Someone in her class year?" Reid muttered.

"Looks like a little reunion happened here," Morgan remarked as he picked up the silver hardback book. "I'll have Garcia look at the high school." He eyed the cover, which had a cartoon version of a blue and orange hornet on it. It was the mascot of the Orange County High School. "Maybe our victims went to the same school." He pulled out his cell phone. As he dialed his favorite person's number, he couldn't help but feel as though he had heard the name of the high school somewhere.

"Speak! Thy goddess commands you!" Penelope ordered once the connection was established. Chuckling, Morgan replied to his Baby Girl, choosing to push that nagging feeling to the back of his mind for now.

0-0

"What did you find out?"

Hotch didn't wait for small pleasantries. As soon as Morgan and Reid walked into the small conference room, he demanded information as he had done with Rossi, fifteen minutes prior. Morgan held up the yearbook, stating that they believed the unsub may have known his third victim when they were in high school and that he might have spent some time with Naomi Marshall before he had killed her. "I'm having Garcia look into the third victim's high school years. For now, all we've learned from this is that she was the head cheerleader at some point," Morgan finished.

"Well, you're right about the man," Prentiss said. Her eyes didn't waver from the crime photos in her hands. "Rossi said that the coroner observed that our third victim had been engaged in sexual activity hours before her death. We don't have a DNA match in the database, so this guy hasn't had prior run-ins with the law. She wasn't raped, though. I'm guessing our victim had feelings for whoever she let in her apartment, and maybe that's why she's our Rosaline." The female FBI agent let the photos fall from her hands and onto the table before she leaned back in her chair. "I'm thinking the place where our third victim was discovered is significant to the unsub somehow."

"Why just the third victim?" Hotch asked.

"Well, it's fairly obvious that the unsub didn't know the first two on a personal level based on how he left the bodies," Prentiss began. "But with the third, he chose to move her body to a second location, basically displaying her in a public area. At first, I thought it could contribute to the geographical profile, but now I just think it's a coincidence that the Ledgers lived close by. Something important happened to the unsub under that lamppost. Then again… It's just a theory of mine." The woman pursed her lips. Admittedly, she had been thinking about the third victim's connection to Rosaline. She couldn't help it really. Hopefully, this whole thing wasn't a distraction method because honestly, it was working. Still, since Lady Capulet and Paris died together her theory seemed almost ridiculous. That is why she hadn't completely explained her theory to Hotch. She needed more information about the Ledgers before she attempted such a thing.

As if acknowledging her efforts, Morgan's cell suddenly began ringing. He announced that it was Garcia before putting her on speaker phone. "I have more information about Adam and Sabrina Ledger. Not really good news, but news. Okay, so they both went to the same high school," she started.

"Orange County?" Morgan asked.

"No, _but_ all three victims attended the same middle school—Liberty Middle School. I was thinking the unsub could have also went to the same middle school, so I cross-referenced kids who transferred to Orange County in their age group. However, there are _a lot_ of names, so I'm going to need attributes to narrow down the list—just something to think about, my pretties," Garcia said. "_Now_, Adam and Sabrina married straight after high school because Sabrina got pregnant. However, she was unable to carry the baby to term and lost it. Fast forward, the couple is still married, but about two years ago, they filed for divorce because of infidelity."

"Which one cheated?" Prentiss questioned.

"According to the files I found, both of them filed for divorce for infidelity at the same time."

"_Both_ of them were cheating?"

"Who knows? Because they suddenly dropped the divorce two weeks ago. Family and friends stated they were going to try to work it out after so long."

"Two weeks ago—could that have been the trigger? I mean, maybe the unsub didn't like that they tried to become happy again. He did make it seem like the husband beat the wife," Morgan muttered. "Maybe he wanted some people to continue to believe they weren't good together."

"_Some people… or some_one_?"_ Prentiss chose to keep this thought to herself for now, though. After all, it was connected to the play. Until Hotch said it was okay—or vital—she wouldn't speak on her theory, but… sooner or later she would have to speak up. If another body turned up, she knew that she would _have_ to speak up.

0-0

He calmly watched as the man slowly came to. Perhaps he had used too much strength behind his surprise attack. Once he realized that he couldn't recognize his surroundings, the man expectedly started to struggle in the chair. But there was no use in that; his legs and arms were tied to the chair, and his upper body was held in place by the grey duct tape. The man wasn't strong anymore. He was a weak, feeble, old man now. He could not intimidate anyone anymore. It had been easy to bring him down, especially since he hadn't expected an attack in broad daylight. Bringing him here was also easy. This was a place only he and his Juliet knew.

Before he could be consumed by thoughts of her, Romeo shook his head before stepping closer to his captive. He must have heard the sound of his footsteps because he suddenly stilled, most likely trying to figure out just who had done such a thing. He was blindfolded. "Wh-What? Who are you?! Where am I?!" His shouting only caused annoyance. No one would hear him, anyway. Tilting his head to the side, dark eyes watched the older man resume his struggles. He could not believe he had _ever_ been afraid of this fool. "Let me go, you son of a bitch!"

"It's been awhile, Capulet," he spoke softly. The older man flinched. "I bet you can't recognize my voice, can you?"

"Who the hell are you?! Why are you doing this?!"

"Because you are one of the people who ruined my life," he answered. "It's time for retribution."

"Retribution—what the _fuck_?!" It would seem he was as foul mouth as before. "If you don't let me go right now, I'm gonna beat the-" Irritated by his useless threats, he shoved the gun into his ranting mouth. Of course, the older man gagged.

"You feel that? That is my semi-automatic pistol. It tends to fire when I get mad, so let's just cut the chit chat, alright? I've brought you here because I need you to do something for me. I'd rather not have your revolting presence here, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. This can go one of two ways. One: you can do this something for me and I won't shoot you with my gun. Two: I can shoot you with my gun. Your choice. Do you understand?" The old man merely whimpered. Lip twitching, the younger man pulled the gun out only to strike his captive across the face. "I asked _do you understand_?!"

"Y-Ye-Yes… Yes!" Blood slid down his cheek.

"Good." The gun lowered and he stepped away from the tied up man. He walked over to the nearby table and grabbed his ski mask. He put in over his head, and then turned back to his captive. Without warning, the blindfold was removed, allowing him to see. There wasn't much to see, though. Besides the swinging light, hanging over, it was pretty dark. A paper was pulled from his back pocket and showed the written words to his captive. "You are to memorize this, and then read it perfectly to me."

"Wh-What?! You brought me here to read _poetry_?!"

"… I will hit you again, and this time, it could kill you," came the warning. Expectedly, the old man's lips snapped shut. "You will recite this message and you will do it perfectly. This must be _perfect_. She will be watching, after all." A smirk appeared behind the mask. "It shouldn't be too hard for you. After all, you've already said it to me all those years ago." He ignored the perplexed expression of the old man and continued speaking. "Afterwards, I won't shoot you with my gun." Reluctantly, a nod was given. "So hurry and memorize this so that I can end this tragedy." He placed the paper in his captive's hand. His dark eyes watched the old man as he spoke out loud, in an effort to memorize faster, and then turned back towards the table. He slowly picked up the glass syringe filled with his poisonous concoction.

Well, he had never promised to not shoot with a syringe.

0-0

"We've got a problem," Rossi interrupted as he came into the room. "Another body was found in Orange County. His name is Samuel Ringer. Same method of killing—poison."

"What? It's too early!" Morgan nearly exclaimed. If had only been three days since the third body was discovered. "If this is the same guy, his cooling off period shortened substantially."

"It's the same guy, alright," the older agent motioned for the group to follow him, which they did. He led them outside, where officers were frozen in place, watching the same thing. "Turn it up!" At the order, an officer fumbled with the remote before doing so. The male reporter on the television spoke briefly before going to video. In the video, there was a man strapped down to a chair. It was silent for a few moments before a disembodied voice ordered him to begin.

"H-Hang thee… young baggage! Disobedient wretch! I-I tell thee what: get thee to ch-church o' Thursday, or never after look me in the face… And you be mi-mine, I'll give you to my friend; and you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets!" The image suddenly darkened, yet sound could be heard. "No! What are you doing? I did what you said! Let me go! No! Don't! _Aaaahhhhhhh_!"

"Juliet, Juliet… Wherefore art thou Juliet?" The intangible voice spoke, breaking the eerie silence that came after the scream. "Our time has come. When we bond again, we will complete the rewrite of our tragedy." The video ended and went back to the reporter. Apparently, they had already dubbed the unsub with a nickname—_Shakespeare's Killer_.

"This was broadcasted on every news channel less than thirty minutes before the body was found with the same video in his pocket," Rossi explained.

"Those were lines from Juliet's father, Capulet," Reid stated, furrowing his brow.

"How'd the media get their hands on it?" Hotch asked, narrowing his eyes.

"My guess is the unsub-"

However, Reid had stopped listening. This was too strange. This whole role distribution felt reversed somehow. The unsub had spoken the famous words of Juliet—had the latest victim speak lines from Juliet's father, and yet he clearly thought of himself as Romeo. Just what was going through the unsub's mind? Well, whatever it was, it couldn't be good for the one he was referring to as Juliet. It was time to start looking at the connection between the victims and the counterparts the unsub had decided to give them. Just as he was about to speak up, Prentiss had spoken his opinion perfectly.

"With the appearance of this new victim, I think it's time to reevaluate the case in connection to the play," she said. "The unsub is going after his last victim." Hotch shut his eyes for a moment, and then he sighed.

"Dave and I will go examine the latest body," he stated. "You three come up with a profile while we're gone." The three in question nodded their heads and went back to the conference room.

"So what are you thinking, Princess?" Morgan asked.

"I think this guy is bordering on the line between reality and fantasy," she answered as she sat down. "He's delusional and I think he's doing all this _for_ Juliet. The first two victims' 'names' were left in obscure places. The third victim clutched her 'name' in her hand. This victim actually read lines from the play. The unsub wants to put on a show."

"Rewrite the show," Reid corrected. "He said so himself. He's rewriting the tragedy by killing those who didn't die in the play, but… should have."

"What?" Morgan looked at the younger profiler, sensing that he had a sudden thought. However, the genius only shook his head quickly.

"_Uh_—no, I mean… Paris, Capulet's wife, Rosaline, and Lord Capulet—what do they all have in common?"

"Juliet?" Morgan shrugged.

"Not just her," Prentiss muttered. "Those four, at least in Romeo's mind, were interferences in his relationship with Juliet. I wrote a paper on this. The Capulets were forcing her to marry. Paris is the guy she was forced to marry. And Rosaline was Romeo's ex."

"Then how was she interference?"

"I don't remember that. I just know I had her in the paper as interference. It was a long time ago, Morgan. I'm not Reid."

"Okay, I'm calling Garcia about the fourth victim," Morgan refrained from rolling his eyes. He quickly dialed the number and placed the technical analyst on speakerphone. "What can you tell us about the fourth victim?"

"What can I _not_ tell you about Samuel Ringer?" Garcia retorted. The sound of her fingers striking her keypad filled the room. "He graduated from Orange County High. He had a full-ride scholarship because of his athletic prowess in football. However, he had a leg injury in the middle of his junior semester and could not play anymore. He came back to town and became an advisor to the school's athletic teams. He retired four years ago, but he's still an active member of the community. Everyone knew who he was."

"Does he have any kids?" Morgan asked.

"Nope—and he's never been married either," Garcia answered.

"So he was a mentor? Mentors are like parents," Prentiss said. "So maybe that's why he was dubbed as Capulet—because he was a mentor to the unsub. The third victim was dubbed Rosaline because most likely she was the unsub's ex." The woman suddenly groaned. "I can't help but feel as though the unsub didn't have a _personal_ connection with the first two victims, though."

"I don't think he did either," Reid mentioned. "Garcia, did the first three victims transfer from their middle school at the same time?"

"No, actually, they didn't. Naomi Marshall entered high school a full year before the Ledgers did. When she was a freshman, they were still in the seventh grade."

"The first three victims are in the same age group, but only the first two victims are the same age," Prentiss stated. "That reminds me, Romeo was older than Juliet, wasn't he?"

"I don't think age is… Wait… Romeo and Juliet were star-crossed lovers, right?" Morgan crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. "Garcia, can you narrow down that list of kids who transferred schools to female minorities?" On the other end, the woman gave an affirmative noise and the clicking came again. "Since its Romeo and Juliet, I'm thinking the relationship between the unsub and his Juliet wasn't exactly liked in the school, especially back then."

"Got it!" Garcia announced. "But I still have fifteen names to sort through."

"Alright, now, compile a list of athletes in the same year as our third victim," Reid requested. "Generally cheerleaders and athletes dated each other." The computer specialists stated that the list would need to be narrowed down further because there were too many names. "Out of those names, who had full ride scholarships _and_ played football?"

"Right, because as our beautiful princess said, mentors are like parents and parents tend to live vicariously through their children," Garcia remarked. "Good one, Dr. Reid." For a moment, only the sound of the woman typing could be heard. "Okay! I have two names—James Sanford and _ooooooh_ no." The profilers could hear the panic in Garcia's voice. They each wore looks of confusion.

"Garcia…?" Prentiss called, concerned. "What is it?"

"What? No, nothing! I mean—just let me-" she stammered out. "Just let me check before I tell—oh no… _oh_ no…"

"Talk to us, Baby Girl—what's going on?" Morgan asked.

"Don't freak out! Don't freak out!" She nearly repeated the demand five times. Honestly, she was the only one freaking out at the moment. Morgan told her to calm down and take a deep breath. Garcia immediately did so. Slowly, she began again. "Don't freak. I mean, this could just be my hyper active imagination going wild or… or a _huge_ coincidence!"

"Garcia!" Prentiss urged. "Tell us!"

"Okay… okay…" She inhaled deeply, and then released it. "Ever since I found the high school our third victim attended, I had this really weird feeling that the school's name sounded familiar to me. Now I know why." Morgan raised a brow. Her, too…? "It's because awhile back, I did a background check on one of our suspects, who really wasn't a suspect, and she attended the same high school as our third victim. She _also_ attended the same middle school as our first three victims. Her name is on the list of minorities who transferred. Now, the reason I'm bringing this up in the first place is because she dated the quarterback and _his_ name is on the other list." Her speech was hurried. Obviously, whatever Garcia had found had worked her into frenzy. "I'm really hope I'm wrong, but it fits, and I don't want to be right, but-"

"The _names_, Garcia! What are the names?"

"Romeo might be Kazuya Spencer—half Japanese and half American—who attended the high school, but didn't graduate. He was the rising star of the football team. Despite his mixed ethnicity, he became the quarterback," Garcia squeaked. "And Juliet might be—_might_ be—Ke.. Kelly Holloway." The three profilers froze after the information processed in their brains. They stood there, staring down at Morgan's cell phone, wondering if they had heard right in the first place. "Guys…? Guys, please tell me I'm wrong! Please tell me I'll never make it as a profiler and that I should stop giving suggestions!" Instead of doing that, Morgan and Prentiss shifted their gaze to the genius amongst them.

Without warning, Reid hastily groped for his phone.

0-0

Groaning in a miserable sort of way, Kelly extended her arm from underneath the covers. Her fingers tapped against her desk, trying to grab her ringing cell phone. Only, she hadn't touched it. Again, she groaned, throwing back the bedspread that covered her body. "Damn it, Kevin!" Sluggishly, she moved into a sitting position. Blinking rapidly, she looked around the dark room. Her head pounded. She supposed that it was time to take more medicine anyway. The ringing of her cell phone stopped, prompting her to get out of the bed. She picked her large sweater from the floor, and then put it over, not bothering to zip it up.

Yawning, she headed for the door in search of her misplaced cell phone. She would be sure to scold her brother for not putting it in the correct place later. The woman walked into the living room, seeing her phone on the coffee table. She rubbed at her eyes. Who had called her at this ungodly hour anyway? Just as she was about pick up her cell phone, she heard a knock at the door. Four gentle raps. Who the hell was visiting her this late? It had to be a stranger. Anyone else would have just walked through the door. Sighing heavily, Kelly began to make her way to the front door. Behind her, she heard the familiar ringtone again. _"Spencer…"_ she thought. Despite the way she was feeling at the moment, due to her sickness, she smiled. Thoughts of him tended to make her feel better. He was probably calling to check on her as he did the last couple of nights.

She continued moving towards the front door. There would always be a time that she could call him back. Right now, she just wanted to scowl at whoever it was that had knocked on her door. Maybe give them an earful, too. The four knocks came again. "Araso, araso!" Rolling her eyes, Kelly gripped the doorknob. Turning it had unlocked the door automatically. In less than a second, she was staring at her sudden guest. She blinked slowly. The person was wearing a ski mask and reflective goggles. The night wind picked up, making the novelist remember that it was chilly outside and that she wasn't wearing pants. Even with the thought on her mind, she didn't make a move to cover herself. Maybe it was the cold medicine in her system that slowed down her reaction. "Can I _help_ you?" The man, taller than she, reached up and pulled both the mask and goggles away from his face. It took a beat, but Kelly recognized him. He smiled. She almost took a step back.

"Hello, Kelri." She hadn't heard that nickname in over a decade. It was him. After all this time, he had appeared in front of her again. Kelly felt herself grimace.

"Kazuya…"

0-0

So. Here it is. I wanted this chapter to reflect an actual episode, but… I don't think it turned out that well, so probably not gonna do this again. Haha… heh… Anyway, I'm sure you readers noticed the implications of Kelly's sketchy past in prior chapters, well this is a reminder. She has a strange past, as characters tend to have in _Criminal Minds_, and it's about to come to light… in the next chapter.

By the way, apparently, Spencer Reid has a canon girlfriend now. Your thoughts?


	10. Trigger

_Ashland, VA_

_Fourteen years ago_

She had to wonder. Did that girl feel better somehow, being the cause of pain? Slowly, Kelly Holloway, a young girl of age thirteen—and a _half_, she would tell people—crouched down to get a better look at her reflection. The small puddle from the morning's rain made a horrible mirror, but it had been enough to see the rapidly developing bruise on her cheek. This was the fourth time this month she had been cornered. However, it had been the first time her face had been targeted. What was she going to tell her mother? The woman would be beside herself with rage, threatening to show up to the school. She had always gotten easily irritated around this time—the anniversary of the official divorce.

Kelly gently touched her bottom lip, causing blood to ooze out at a faster rate. She had, of course, gone to her teachers about this predicament between herself and another student. They did not think much it, though. They claimed Sabrina was only trying to seek attention after her grandfather's death and that this violent phase would pass. But whose attention had she been trying to seek when they had been alone during the confrontation? The young girl stood up and sighed. She had tried going to the principle this time around, hence why she had missed the school bus and had to walk home. Since her efforts had been in vain. The principle, whom was friends with Sabrina's parents, turned the other cheek. Sabrina walked away without any form of punishment. Frowning, Kelly began to walk again. Adults were not to be trusted, after all.

People were not to be trusted.

Still, something needed to change. She wouldn't be able to go on like this. Not only did she not want her mother to worry, but she also did not want this to happen again. Figures something like this would happen _after_ her only friend, Jessica, had moved away. Sabrina was a coward. Kelly abruptly stopped and squeezed her eyes shut. In the back of her throat that feeling came again. As though she swallowed a lemon whole, her esophagus constricted. It was the very feeling that came before tears. And she hated it. Her hands gripped the purple straps of her school bag. No. She would never cry again. The young girl furiously rubbed at her eyes before using both hands to wipe her cheeks. Finally, she opened her eyes and slid her tongue over her bleeding lip.

What she saw made her body freeze. At the end of the street, next to a streetlight, there were two teens. They were older than her, but she could still tell they were only teenagers. Most likely, they were two to three years older than her. They paid no mind to her because they were engaged in kissing. Kelly had caught her older brother doing the same thing with his girlfriend a few times, though he had been supposed to be watching his younger sibling. Kevin was the one who needed to be watched. _He_ was the troublemaker in the family. Realizing she had become distracted by her own thoughts, Kelly focused on the couple again. She wasn't curious about kissing anymore. She had seen it enough that it had become a trivial thing in her mind. Really, what made her still had to do with the ethnicity of the guy. He was Asian.

Actually, her mind associated Asians with fighting. This was mostly due to how American media portrayed them. Either they were serving Chinese food or kicking butt. Stereotypes—how she _despised_ them. Still, they were there, and admittedly, it gave her an idea. Seeing this guy caused her to come up with the key to her dilemma. One, the proposal would distract her mother, leaving no room for conversation concerning her current physical state. Two, surely her mother would agree with the proposal and that would be the beginning of her promise to never cry again. At the moment, she idolized a fictional character by the name of Artemis Fowl. Only a boy, but he was still a genius. A criminal, yes, but he was admirable. However, he lacked physical strength and depended on a bodyguard to save him. Perhaps it was time to move on to Sherlock Holmes—a man of intellect as well as strength. With a determined nod, Kelly took another step forward.

It was at that time that the two older teens had stopped their exchange of saliva and pulled a part. The girl rested her head against the guy's chest and closed her eyes, looking quite content. The guy, however, had noticed her presence and was staring directly at her. Kelly stood rooted to the spot, contemplating on whether or not she should turn around. But her gaze remained locked with his. It was only until the girl said something to the guy and proceeded to pull him away did their eye contact break. The two older teens disappeared behind a house. They did not once look back.

Kelly narrowed her eyes before shaking her head. She was already late. With that thought in mind, she started running, and didn't stop until she was at her front door. In hindsight, it had been a terrible decision. How could she present her proposal to her mother whilst she panted so heavily? Rasping, the girl opened the door. It was already unlocked, leading her to believe that Kevin was home, probably playing video games. The eighteen-year-old most likely had no idea she had missed her bus. The girl removed her shoes and made her way to the living room. As expected, Kevin sat in front of the television, game controller in his hands.

Once her breathing was under control, she called her brother's name… several times. It was only after she had screeched his name that Kevin had paused his game and turned to her, clearly annoyed. "Oh. _You're_ back." The two siblings didn't _exactly_ get along. Of course, there was still _love_. But Kelly didn't see herself _liking_ him, at least until they were on the same maturity level. Until then, Kevin had a lot of catching up to do. Sometimes she wished that André hadn't become a marine and left her with this immature buffoon.

"I need to speak with mother. Where is the phone?"

"You _could_ call her mom like you used to," Kevin remarked.

"And you _could_ get a job, but that's not going to happen for a couple years, so-"

"It's in the damn kitchen, you smartass," he huffed, and then returned to his game. Not bothering to thank him, Kelly turned to head in that direction. "And who the hell put their hands on you?" Not expecting that, the girl halted. She swallowed hard. That annoying feeling came back again, along with the prickly sensation around her eyes. "Just say the word, and I'll rally up the troops." Kelly would have laughed if she hadn't been trying to suppress her tears. Her brother had sometimes spoken that military jargon after André had gone away. She supposed it was his way of coping with the loss of his older brother.

"That won't be necessary," she replied. "I have planned what needs to happen."

"And that would be…?"

"Those karate classes you and André took—I plan to excel in them," Kelly stated. "But I won't give up like you two did, though."

"I remember you telling mom that 'brute strength is for idiots.' You're going against that now?"

"Even idiots have their uses."

0-0

_Present_

With quickness, Kelly sat up. She immediately regretted such an action. The world around her began to spin horribly out of her control. She had felt like puking out her own stomach. Maybe her kidneys, too. Hands found their way to her head as she laid back down on a familiar surface. She was in bed. Cream colored covers and pillows surrounded her. Wait… This wasn't her bed. Again, the novelist sat up, this time slowly. Her preference had always been deep reds or shades of black. This wasn't her bed. Her eyes darted around. This wasn't her bedroom either. It was a just a room with no windows, no accessories, and no decorations. Just a bed with a confused woman in it. Her brown eyes zeroed in on the door to the left of her. Kelly blinked slowly, and then made a move to get off the bed. It did not work. She felt a yank on her ankle, but it was too late to stop. Her forehead smashed against the hard cement floor. The sound echoed in her ears, seemingly amplifying the pain she felt from the collision. A high-pitched groan came from her mouth before she attempted to compose herself.

She turned her body, and then stared wide-eyed at the rusted metal shackled to her ankle. Slowly and unsteady, Kelly stood up. Her eyes followed the chain to see that it was attached to the far wall on the right side of the bed. The chain was long enough so that she could move freely around the room, she guessed, but any further… She swallowed hard, senses coming back to her. _"I've been taken,"_ she thought, frowning. _"Lovely."_ Being in a relationship with a special agent, she knew there would come a day where a criminal would cowardly resort to exploiting that fact, leading to a hostage situation. She would be a bargaining chip. It was a pessimistic thought, but true all the same. In her head, she had gone over several scenarios. However, having a cold hadn't been a factor before. Another factor that she hadn't counted on was the fact that she actually _knew_ the person. Kazuya Spencer. That, along with being sick, had made her an easy target. She had been taken without much of a fight.

_Hello, Kelri._

Kelly found herself grimacing again. She shouldn't have let him in. She shouldn't have ignored the ringing of her cell phone. And she definitely should've put some more clothes on. So here she stood, in an unknown place—a prisoner—with nothing but underwear and a zip-up sweater. If only she hadn't turned her back on him… Well, at least she would have seen the attack coming. In her current state, she most likely would have been too slow to stop it. Kelly sat down on the bed, forcing her body to relax despite the furious way her heart was pumping blood. Most likely, the door was locked, so even if she could reach it, it would be futile to just walk away. She _needed_ to find a way to escape, though. But in order to do that, she needed strength. So despite the ominous situation, she lied down again, curling herself in a ball and ignoring the rattling of the chain. Kelly squeezed her eyes shut and shuddered. She was a bit cold, yes, but that was not the reason for her trembling body. _"Why…?"_ she questioned in thought. _"Why did you come back and do this, Kazuya?"_

The only answer she received was a violent sneeze from herself.

0-0

Pins and needles. No. Broken glass. With each step he took, it felt more and more like he was walking on broken glass. Pain shot up his legs each time the soles of his shoes made contact with the floor. However, remaining still in a seated position was impossible at this point in time. It took quite a bit of effort not to bite his fingernails down. At the moment, he and his team were waiting to make their next move. Hotch and Rossi had returned from examining the latest victim already. The body had been left out on a football field of the Orange County High School. As the body had been literally dumped, the unsub obviously felt resentment, or maybe even hatred, towards Samuel Ringer.

That information hadn't been enough to pinpoint the unsub's location. It hadn't been enough to generalize his location either. For now, Reid had no choice but to wait. Running around in a panic was not going to help. Kelly had been taken. This was confirmed by the police who had been sent to her home. Her car, purse, keys, and cell phone were still there. There were no signs of forced entry or a struggle, but… In her sickly state, she would not have ventured outside the comforts of her home. She definitely would not have left her cell phone behind either. Reid stopped his pacing for a moment and breathed deeply, willing himself to calm down. They would be here soon, he repeated in his mind like a mantra. The mother and brothers of the Holloway family were the only people whom knew the unsub and… the victim at the same time. The unsub's father and mother were unfortunately deceased. The mother had died during childbirth. The father had died quite recently—four weeks ago—of an illness. Perhaps that had been his trigger instead of the Ledgers attempting another go at their marriage.

Reid resumed his pacing, hand reaching up to squeeze the house key under his shirt. Honestly, he felt partly responsible. He had felt a familiarity about this case. Kelly had told him the names of the first two victims because of her unfortunate involvement with them as a child and as an adult. Also, before, she mentioned her dislike of the tragedy because the people who should have died didn't. The young profiler had brushed it aside even though he, himself, had said it. Possibly, those few seconds would have been enough time to warn her of the approaching danger. It was futile placing blame on himself, but he couldn't help it. This was a situation he found himself dreading ever since he realized how strong his feelings were for Kelly Holloway. Truthfully, he wouldn't be half as worried this time around if Kelly hadn't been sick.

"Reid…!" Morgan opened the door to the conference room. He, and the others, had wanted to give him space to breathe and room to think, so they had left him alone this whole time. Seeing his team member now, the genius assumed what he was here for now. "They're here. They want to talk to you."

"They don't know yet," Reid stated, turning to face him. Kevin believed he was here to deliver something to his sister. André believed he needed his expertise of the military. He had misled them purposefully, of course, as to not incite a panic within the two brothers. He had decided not to contact the mother of the brothers, not yet at least. At the moment, she wasn't needed. Reid didn't want to cause unnecessary strain on Tina Holloway. Morgan nodded his head. He could tell he wanted to say something else, something comforting, but held himself back. Morgan must realize that no comforting words would stop the way he was feeling at the moment. Reid sighed. "Let's go." Morgan nodded his head, and then led him to where the two Holloway brothers were. The two were in an interrogation room _of all places_.

"Guru, what's going on?" Kevin was the first to speak. He stood up along with André. Morgan instructed them to sit back down. Reluctantly, the two did so. Reid and Morgan sat opposite of them. The others must be behind the glass, watching. "I thought I was just picking up something, but why's André here, too?"

"I told you those things so that you wouldn't drive here in a panic," Reid told them. "I… I do need your help, though."

"As of 11:25 tonight," Morgan continued. "It has been confirmed that your sister, Kelly Holloway, is missing." Their reactions were instantaneous. Shock. Horror. Confusion. Even anger. "We believe that the unsub, who has taken her, knew her in the past. We called you here because you two know this guy, too. The unsub hasn't been heard from in the past decade, so we're hoping you can give us information. Any information can help find him and your sister."

"I can't think of anyone… stupid enough," Kevin muttered. "How can anyone know her and us and still think they can get away with _kidnapping_ her?!"

"Calm down," Morgan told him.

"Why _should_ we?!" André raised his voice a bit. "You're telling us that our sister has been taken by a mad man!" His dark eyes honed in on Reid. "Spencer! Speak up!"

"Kazuya Spencer," he responded. Both brothers froze. "You mentioned him before, but not his name. In your family, it's considered taboo to mention him in conversation because their relationship ended so badly, right? You two know something, so now's the time to tell me. Kelly's life may depend on what you say."

"We…" Kevin shook his head. "How are we supposed to know where he is after all these years?"

"Somewhere in your memories, there could be a hint as to where he is now," Morgan explained. "We have nothing to go on right now, so anything you come up with might make it easier to figure out his location."

"What makes you so sure that it's him?" André asked. Morgan carefully explained the connection between the four victims with Kelly and the unsub, choosing to leave out the bit about Shakespeare for now. The older brother sighed heavily. "… We, Kevin, mom, and I, met Kazuya at the same time…" he began. "Kelly was still a sophomore in high school…"

0-0

_Orange County, VA_

_Twelve years ago_…

"Nii-san!" Hearing his sister's voice, André swiveled around in his chair. He lowered the book in his hands before lifting his gaze. The sixteen year old Kelly leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest. She appeared a bit annoyed. He had noticed a change in his younger sister when he had returned. She was… just different from the little girl he had known. She seemed too serious for a teenager. Since she had entered high school, according to Mom, Kelly had not brought home any friends. Truthfully, she hadn't mentioned anyone from school. However, tonight was different. Her _boyfriend_ was visiting. Of course, when Kelly had stoically dropped the bombshell, she received incredulous responses from everyone at the dinner table. She had paid no mind to their stares. Without waiting for a response, she had told them her boyfriend's name. Kazuya Spencer. With that name alone, André realized where his sister had learned this new language. When Kelly found something interesting, or something vital to her, she clung to it until she mastered it, which is why she could still take him on despite her size. "Can you please tell Kevin… not to make a fool of himself tonight?"

"It won't matter what I say," André stated. "You know how he is." Kelly sighed heavily, and then walked forward. She sat on the edge of his bed, and then laid back. "Are you nervous about this boyfriend?" The teenager actually scoffed. "I'll take that as a no."

"_He's_ the one who wanted to meet the rest of my family," she stated.

"Would you have told us about him otherwise?"

"Obviously!" Kelly said, staring up at the ceiling. "It's only been two weeks. I was going to tell you guys if he made it past the one month mark; like you with your girlfriends." Of course. She did like to emulate her older brother whenever she saw fit. "But this guy is really persistent. It took quite a bit of willpower not to resort to petty violence when he felt the urge to court me."

"Court…?" Kevin's voice caused the two siblings to turn their attention towards the door. "What century do you think this is?" Instead of answering him, Kelly flopped back down on the bed, giving an exaggerated sigh. Kevin glowered at his sister. Even now, at twenty-one, Kelly showed no respect for him. He had just gotten a job last week, damn it! So what if it was his first?! He was older. As the younger sibling, Kelly should have both respected and feared him by default. But of course, the younger sibling wasn't like that. Most likely, it will take a few years for her to even think of him as something other than a—what was the word again? Oh, a _baka_—some Japanese word that she had learned almost a week ago.

"_Anyway_," André said before his younger brother could give some type of retort to Kelly's silence. "What's this guy like?" The teen sat up, and then shrugged her shoulders.

"… He is…" Kelly almost seemed hesitant. She closed her eyes for a moment as though contemplating her next words. "He is a tool." Their sister had always been strange. She said weird things all the time—sometimes they didn't know how to respond her. But that admission had to be the weirdest. Before either brother could question her meaning, the doorbell rang. Seconds later, the voice of their mother seemingly echoed through the house. "Well, let's get this over with." Kelly stood up, and then headed for the door. After she was gone, André and Kevin shared a look.

"_Tool_…?" The younger brother repeated in an incredulous tone. André sat his book down on the desk. "She wasn't serious, right?" Though he questioned it, Kevin knew joking was something Kelly rarely did since the start of her high school career. That was the reason he wanted so badly to make her laugh. She didn't joke, but she did laugh on occasion.

"She probably meant he's a jock, or something," André shrugged his shoulders. "Remember that time she complained about all the tools in her homeroom? She was talking about the athletes."

"Oh… Right," Kevin agreed with a nod. "So, we should probably go do our brotherly duty and scare her first boyfriend now."

"Should I take my gun out?" André jokingly asked as he rose from his chair. They laughed as they walked down the hallway towards the stairs. Upon walking down the stairs, they were greeted by the sight of their mom and sister speaking with the visitor. Like his name implied, his Asian characteristics were clearly seen on his face. Kelly had told them that that her brother was mixed—Japanese on his mother's side and Caucasian on his father's, though he looked more Asian than white. Kevin loudly cleared his throat, drawing the attention of his family members and the stranger. "So this is him, _huh_?" André questioned as his feet touched the floor. He moved forward with his younger brother in tow. Kevin scoffed.

"Doesn't look like a rising star quarterback," he remarked. Kazuya merely grinned, seemingly not affected by the implication.

"It's _just_ star quarterback," he corrected, smoothly. "You must be Kevin. Kelri told me about you." The younger brother crossed his arms and snorted. Kazuya shifted his gaze to the oldest brother. "Then you must be André." He lifted his arm. As Kevin intended to not be civil about this, André decided to be the bigger person—for now—and shake the offered hand. "Kelri has told me a lot about you."

"Funny, she's only ever _mentioned_ you," Kevin muttered.

"Then this is going to be fun." Kazuya's grip increased somewhat. It was barely noticeable, but André did notice. That's when he decided that this guy was slick, and he wasn't even going to _attempt_ to like him. The younger male turned his gaze to Kevin as he let go of André's hand. "I hope we get along."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be swimmingly." The sarcasm was obvious, but Kazuya didn't lose his smile. With a snort and a roll of her eyes, Kelly led her boyfriend into the dining room. Kevin sneered after them, crossing his arms. "He look slick—I don't like him!" he announced. Immediately, his mom scolded him.

"We don't know the boy well enough to make judgments," Tina stated. "This is someone Kelly has chosen as a first. There must be a reason for that."

"I doubt _she_ did the choosing this time around," André murmured. He sighed heavily. "Let's just get this over with. I don't think this relationship will last anyway."

"Once he gets what he wants, he'll end it—the slick bastard," Kevin agreed with an almost violent nod. "Her next boyfriend better not be like this!"

0-0

_Present_

"_That's_ it?" Morgan questioned. He leaned forward, arms crossed. "That's all you know?"

"That was the only time we met him," André supplied. "First and last. He never came over again."

"Right before summer started, Kelly told us she broke up with him because he cheated on her," Kevin continued. "She, all business like, told us to never speak of his existence in front of her again. Despite her lack of emotion when telling us, she must have been hurt. He lucky _I_ didn't find him after he pulled his disappearing act!"

"Disappearing act…?" Reid repeated, furrowing his brow.

"Yeah. It was all over the local news back then," André stated. "Without a trace, he disappeared from his room. She was questioned, you know? The police came, but she didn't know anything either."

"So nothing else?" Morgan asked. "Nothing important comes to mind?" André rubbed his left temple and sighed.

"I moved out of the house long before she told us about him," he stated. "I was only visiting when she sprung the news on us. After that, I wasn't really around."

"_I_ was, but she never brought him around again," Kevin continued. "When she did talk about him, she didn't really talk about him. Just some things that he did. Like taking her on a first date, or first kiss, or taking her virginity." He scowled as he spoke. Reid found himself doing the same. "But I don't think-"

"No, that's good!" Morgan said. "These events could be momentous for the unsub as well. Where did she say these things took place? The first date?"

"I don't know. She never mentioned locations now that I think about it," Kevin murmured. "She dropped bombshells, but that's it. Dates, locations—she didn't tell us anything like that. The information we do have won't help, will it?" The overwhelming silence that followed was answer enough. Both brothers clenched and their fists, squeezing their eyes shut.

"Shit." In the tense silence, the mumble was both unexpected and uncharacteristic. Three sets of eyes shifted to the one who had broken the silence. Morgan raised his eyebrows. André frowned. Kevin looked confused. "There's only one person Kelly would be completely honest with when it comes to things like this," Reid uneasily said. "Not her mother or brothers, but someone just as close… A best friend."

"Shit," André agreed, wincing.

"Damn," Kevin jerked his head back. Turning to his confused coworker, Reid spoke again.

"We need to contact Jessica Kim. Now."

0-0

The sound of a metal door creaking open aroused Kelly awake. However, she didn't open her eyes just yet. She forced her body to remain still as she heard footsteps come closer to the bed. Hearing his breaths caused Kelly to frown. He was so close to her now. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Brown eyes stared back at her. He had lowered himself to his knees next to the bed. "So you're up then?" he questioned. Quick as she could, her fingers wrapped around his throat, putting enough pressure to let Kazuya know she wouldn't accept nonsense. He yelped and choked.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't snap your neck," Kelly ordered, fixing her expression into a glare. The tense moment only lasted until he smirked.

"I seem to recall you reacting like this after I kissed you the first time—same words, too," Kazuya said. The pressure around his neck increased somewhat. "Alright…! _Alright_!" he choked out. "If I die, then you'll only die afterwards. I have the key, and I know you would never want to die of starvation." After a moment, Kelly roughly released her hold on him by shoving him away. He frowned as he rubbed his abused neck. Then he smirked again. "You haven't changed, Kelri. Well, you've become more beautiful in the last ten years."

"I see you haven't changed either—still laying it on thick," Kelly murmured. She stared at him. His voice was different than she remembered. There was a slight accent. He hadn't had it before. Now that she was thinking of it, the way he had said her name—_Kelri_—seemed too real to be a joke. Eventually, his smirk vanished because of the stare down. "Why did you take me from my home? Why have you done this?" She gestured to her ankle. Instead of answering her, Kazuya stood up. His arm extended in her direction. Kelly flinched away, clearing not wanting his touch. He, however, ignored that and brushed his knuckles against her forehead.

"You're hurt," he stated. He must have been talking about her earlier meeting with the floor. Kelly glowered a bit. The bruise—hopefully it was just a bruise—was big enough to be noticed. She didn't like that fact at all. "And sick," Kazuya continued. He lowered his arm to her ankle, fingers gripping the shackle that encased her. He then used his other hand to pull out an equally rusted key from his back pocket. The shackle came undone. "Come with me," he said after pocketing the key again.

"Like I have much choice," Kelly retorted as Kazuya lifted her off the bed, arm locking her legs together and hand supporting her back. Snickering, her captor began to walk out of the room. As he moved, Kelly's eyes darting all over, scanning her surroundings. Perhaps she can find an escape route and get out of here before Spencer realized she was missing. Oh, she really hoped that he didn't already know. She didn't know how long she had been out thanks to the chloroform used on her. Nothing seemed familiar. However, she realized that only artificial light shined through the darkness of the hall. No windows. No view. No wind. It _felt_ damp. This place, wherever it was, could only be underground. Damn. "Where are we?"

"You don't recognize this place?" Kazuya asked, pushing open another door with his right leg. "Well, I have changed it quite a bit in the last few years." The room seemed to be a bathroom, equipped with a shower, sink, and toilet. Plumbing…? There was also a marble surface on top of a wooden cabinet. That is where he set her down. Kelly contemplated attacking and just taking the key by force, but at the moment, her knowledge was very little and so would be her chance of actually escaping. For now, she would need him to talk. Kazuya, ignorant of her thoughts, lowered himself to open the cabinet doors. Once he found what he was looking for, he stood to his full height again. In his hands were ointment and a roll of medical dress... and _cold medicine_. He set those down next to her, and then went over to the sink. There was a rag hanging on a metal railing next to the sink. Turning on the water, he soaked the rag. Kelly watched him through narrowed eyes. Her ex-boyfriend seemed to be adamant about making all of this seem normal. There was nothing _normal_ about any of this. She had to get home. The woman's gaze lowered to the floor. She had to get back. "Don't move," Kazuya's voice caused her to lift her line of sight. He had returned in order to clean her injury. Apparently, she had bled from her less than graceful fall.

Obediently, Kelly remained still as Kazuya tended to her. It was only after he finished wrapping the white material around her head did she speak again. "Kazuya," she began. He smiled at her. It was the same smile that she remembered from the past. A pang of guilt shot through her. "Tell me, why have you taken me from my home? What do you hope to accomplish by doing this?" His smile faltered first, and then it completely dropped.

"My old man," he murmured. "I promised him."

"Promised…" Kelly repeated.

"I promised him that I would find you and right the wrongs. He liked you, you know?"

"What does that mean?" Kazuya didn't answer. Instead, he furrowed his brow and looked away. Eliot Spencer. Actually, Kelly couldn't remember him all that well. He had been a quiet man with an ever present frown on his face—that's all she could recall now, more than ten years later. "Look, Kazuya, this isn't funny. What you've done is considered kidnapping. When people find out about this-" Then without warning, his lips met hers. Again and again. Hungrily. Passionately. _Violently_. More than anything, it scared her that her struggles against him were in vain. He gripped the back of her neck with one hand while the other hand bound her wrists together. Her body felt almost completely weak, subjecting her to his kiss.

He released her slowly. Both panted as they stared into one another's eyes. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time," Kazuya told her. Kelly blinked, and then lightly touched her lips. She shuddered as her teeth clenched. Then without words she lifted her right hand. The back of her hand pressed against his cheek. He appeared confused by her actions. "Kelri-" Swiftly, her left hand reared back, only to be sent crashing into her right palm. The force of the impact sent the man staggering before he fell to the cement floor.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Kelly screamed. Having been worked up, the scream had brought about a coughing fit. Still, she hopped from the counter and made a dash for the doorway. She didn't get far due to her captor recovering quicker than she had anticipated. His arms encased her from behind. "Let me go!" Like hell she was going to make this easy. Even if she couldn't escape at the moment, she would struggle with the little strength that she had. Kazuya actually had the nerve to tell her to calm down. "No! How dare you kiss me?! I have a boyfriend and he's not you anymore!" His grip on her increased so much that Kelly couldn't stop the pained hiss.

"He is merely another obstacle. He'll be gone soon just like the others," Kazuya murmured. Immediately, Kelly stilled. She blinked once, wondering if she had heard him right. Then her expression shifted to anger. She didn't know exactly what he had meant, but it sounded ominous enough to be a threat. Kelly was a woman that didn't take kindly to threats.

"Kazuya," she began voice surprisingly calm. "I don't know who these other obstacles are or what you mean by gone, but… if I even _feel_ that you've done something to Spencer, they will _never find your body_."

"Then they won't find yours either," he whispered back. "And we'll sleep eternally… together, finishing our rewrite of the tragedy." Eyes growing wide, the stunned woman didn't even think to shudder as she felt his nose and mouth on her neck. It was that moment when Kelly realized the gravity of the situation. And what's worse…

She might have been the one to cause it.

0-0

_Orange County, Virginia_

_Twelve years ago_…

Panting heavily, Kazuya Spencer glared down at the grass underneath him. This was a punishment. Long after practice had ended, the coach had kept him, and him alone, for more drills. Now, only after he had become utterly exhausted did the coach allow him to catch his breath. He couldn't figure out _why_, though. Had he done something so bad recently? The first year he had become quarterback, he had done some pretty… irresponsible things, but this year—his last year—had been tame for the most part. So then why was he being punished like this? After a few minutes, he finally stood up. It was then that his coach, Samuel Ringer, walked over with his hands clasped behind his back. This was his lecture pose. Mentally sighing, the quarterback had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

"Don't give me that look, Spencer," coach scolded. "You know what this is about."

"Haven't the faintest," Kazuya retorted. His coach scowled.

"Then let me _tell_ you," he said curtly. "Last week's game was an important one, didn't I tell you?" The teen nodded his head, wishing his coach would just get to the point already. The man had told him to play his absolute best, win or lose. Of course, that only meant win at all costs. Losing had never been an option. "Several scouts were there and they _all_ wanted _you_. Five colleges now want to give you full-ride scholarships, in the hopes that you play for them—that doesn't happen often, boy." Admittedly, he felt much excitement with the news. He knew full well how good of a player he was. In fact, he a bit surprised to hear that it was _only_ five. Suppressing a grin, Kazuya mirrored his coach's serious expression. "The problem is… what you did after you scored the winning touchdown."

"… Dancing?"

"No, but that is frowned upon," his coach replied with a slight shake of his head. "You kissed that black girl in front of everyone." Kazuya felt himself scowl. 'That black girl' seemed to be everyone's nickname for her. It completely changed his mood when they referred to her that way. Clenching his jaw, he continued to listen to Coach Ringer, hoping that his malice didn't escape his eyes. "You already know that you were instructed not to show public displays of affection to that girl. And you decide to go and fucking shit all over that by kissing her after the game. The scouts saw it and were displeased by the relationship! I had to convince them that it was just a compulsive passionate moment that meant nothing!"

"So you lied then?"

Coach Ringer sighed heavily, letting his arms aligned with his sides. "They were relieved when I told them," he continued. "They were relieved because they would not want to deal with the controversy of one of their star players involved in an interracial relationship!"

"I'm the offspring of an interracial relationship!" Kazuya almost shouted as he clenched his fists. It was all he could do to stop his arms from swinging in his coach's general direction.

"Which is being overlooked _because_ of your talent!" Coach Ringer didn't bother to stop himself from shouting. He was becoming red-faced as well. "I saw the potential in you your freshmen year and despite what others said, I let you on the team. I shaped and molded you into the best and I'll be _damned_ if your future is ruined because of that little black girl!" There it was again. That irritating nickname—he hated it.

"What exactly are you saying, coach?" Kazuya questioned, trying hard to swallow despite feeling his throat constricting.

"Shouldn't it be obvious by now? You will have to end it with her or-"

"You can't decide that!"

"I made you, so I _own_ you! Do what you're told by next Friday or you're off the team. Being kicked off the team will be like saying good-bye to those scholarships, so make the right decision!"

Kazuya could only stare, lips parted as his coach and mentor practically stomped away. _He_ was upset? He had the _nerve_ to be upset?! Biting his lip, the younger male curled and uncurled his fingers several times. Slowly, really slowly, his anger faded. But it still lingered. It didn't occur to him that this would happen as a result of having a _real_ girlfriend. That's when it hit him. Hard. "SHIT!" Panicking, he scrambled to gather his things from the side of the field, and then took off towards the parking lot. Normally, he would be heading back towards the school for a shower, but that would have to wait.

Coming to a stop in front of his green, and slightly rusted, truck, Kazuya warily looked around. She was nowhere in sight. If he was lucky, she was still writing in the school's library. However, luck was not on his side today. As he moved to toss his bag in the bed of the truck, her head popped up, long braided hair appearing much more like the snakes—just like Medusa. Her head slowly turned. He knew what type of expression she would have before she completely faced him. Complete stone. The quarterback tried hard not to show his grimace. "Explain," she demanded. In her hand was a copy of one of her favorite books—_Romeo and Juliet_. Unfortunately, her favorite read seemed to be her favorite weapon at the moment for it was poised to be thrown. "You have twenty seconds to comply."

"Practice just ran longer than usual, Kelly," Kazuya murmured, tossing his bag in the truck so that it wouldn't hit her.

"Kazuya-kun," she started as she stood. Waving the hardback book around, she glared down at him. "I have been waiting for, at least, forty-five minutes. My brother already doesn't like you, and yet you keep trying to irritate him. I would fear for your safety if he wasn't already at work."

"Don't worry," he extended his arms up. "I'll still get you home before your mom gets there." She raised a brow before jumping into his arms. Kazuya grinned, squeezing her tightly. Kelly, of course, yelped in protest and began hitting his back with the book and her fist. "Don't be mad at me, anymore! Come on, Kelri…!" At the nickname she had become used to, her strikes became softer. "I'll show you something interesting…" Her strikes completely stopped. Then her arms wrapped around his neck, returning the embrace.

"Well then, intrigue me," Kelly whispered in his ear. Kazuya had to stop himself from shuddering.

"Let's go then."

The drive took about twenty minutes. Kelly warily examined her surroundings, appearing dubious. She slammed the truck's passenger side door, and then met him at the entrance to his secret place. "A cabin…" she said the obvious, causing Kazuya to chuckle. "You brought me to an abandoned cabin."

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover," he replied as he took her hand. Leading her to the door, he heard her grumble something along the lines of crossing death's door. The senior ignored the sophomore for a moment as he opened the door. "I found this place when I was a junior. I fixed it up a little. Now this is the place I come to when I want to get away."

"This is your definition of 'fixed up?' I'm terribly disappointed then." Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, Kazuya dropped down to the floor as his girlfriend went about the room, further observing her surroundings. He flipped the oval-shaped rug over, revealing a latch. Kelly lowered herself beside him, elbows resting on her knees. "A secret compartment…? Alright, I'm not disappointed anymore." Smirking, Kazuya lifted the door, which had hid a stairway leading down. "What is this place?" Kelly wondered out loud.

"I think it's a bomb shelter," he answered, walking down. "But instead of just one room, there are many—even a bathroom."

"Working?"

"Not really, no."

"Great," Kelly drawled sarcastically. "I'm assuming that it's the same for electricity?"

"That's why I have candles set up."

"Great," she repeated.

"It's not so bad," Kazuya murmured to which her response was 'I'm sure.' He led her down the corridor, walking pass doors on the left and right to get to end. Honestly, he hadn't had time to fix up any other room, but this last room was his project. He had painted the walls, cleaned the floor, and even put in a bed—all by himself. Well, he had taken the paint from his dad's garage. And he may or may not have had asked his dad for money for the bed. But everything else he had done by himself. Kazuya pushed opened the door and Kelly peered inside.

"So… you come here to… masturbate?" Aghast, the football player hurried past his girlfriend and quickly gathered the porn magazines that were scattered across the floor. They were from his friends, honest! What must she think of him now? After shoving the dirty magazines under the bed, he popped back up, stock still, trying to come up with an explanation. To his surprise, though, Kelly had begun laughing. It wasn't too often that she did that, but it was all the more charming when she did. She stopped, but the grin remained. "Does your dad barge in your room at random? Your privacy issues are a bit unusual for a guy your age." She sat down on the bed's edge and stared up at him. "But seriously, is there something you want to tell me?"

"They're not really mine!"

"… I don't mean your dirty mags, Kazuya-kun," Kelly retorted, losing her grin. "Why did Mr. Ringer keep you long after the other players? On the way here, you hardly spoke and appeared deep in thought—not like you."

"Thanks," he replied sarcastically as lit the long white candles that were attached to either side of the door. He then plopped down beside her. After he sighed heavily, his brown eyes glanced her way. "Coach told me that colleges were lining up to have me play for them—full-ride scholarships." Kelly frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. Kazuya swallowed. "The catch is… Coach made it sound like they wouldn't have me if I continued to… have a relationship with you."

"Well…" she began slowly. "It's understandable. Having a star Asian player would generate positive feedback and possibly reduce more racial barriers. That's the trend nowadays, isn't it? But to have that star player dating a black girl—they wouldn't want _that_ type of controversy."

"Coach says I have to end things with you by next Friday," Kazuya continued.

"I see…"

"I won't. I'm not going to do it."

"What? Why?" Flabbergasted, Kazuya shifted his gaze from the floor to his girlfriend. She stared back at him as if she were confused. "You have the option of becoming a nationwide name. That's something you've always wanted despite your mixed ethnicity. You always wanted to prove people wrong and this is your chance. I don't understand why this is such a hard decision."

"I'm _not_ breaking up with you just because a couple of old farts don't like that I'm in a relationship with you!"

Kelly stood up, looking annoyed. She glared at him, crossing her arms. "Don't be an idiot about this, Kazuya! This is your _future_ on the line! You can't just throw your dream away because of a… a _fleeting_ high school relationship!" she told him. It hurt. Is that how she felt? Or is that how she believed he felt? Either way… "You seriously need to reconsider your priorities. There are greater consequences for giving up football than giving up me. There's nothing to gain from you acting like a sappy tool! You love the sport, so-"

"I love _you_!" Kazuya blurted. Kelly's mouth snapped close. He honestly didn't mean to say it—not like this. Her arms fell to her sides. She appeared utterly stunned, even taking a step back. Mouth opening and closing, his girlfriend stared at him. Still, she didn't say anything. Truthfully, he had loved another. But this was different. Kelly had always been different. "… I…" He stood up, slowly moving towards her. "I love you, Kelly." Her eyes lifted to meet his gaze. His hand caressed her cheek. "I'd rather not have a future or a dream if you're not in it."

"Th-That…" Kelly released a shaky breath. "That wasn't supposed to… You weren't-" He interrupted her by wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her tightly.

"I admit it now. You were a challenge in the beginning. My friends dared me to. It was supposed to be my big senior prank, taking a black sophomore girl to prom, making everyone all upset. That was the plan." She stiffened in his arms. "I agreed, thinking I would never like someone like you. But you changed everything by being everything I didn't expect. You changed me, and I fell in love with you. That's just-"

"Kazuya, _shut up_," Kelly ordered. She then tilted her head up and lifted to stand on the tips of her toes. Her arms lifted, fingers moving to grip the back of his shirt. Kazuya could only stand there, eyes wide because of the bold kiss. Not once had she initiated affection. It had always been him. To have her so suddenly kiss him like this... she must have been so touched by his confession. Smiling, Kazuya eagerly reciprocated. When the time came for air, she slowly reared back, eyes opening to stare back into his eyes. She licked her lips and panted softly. "Be my Romeo then… and I'll be your Juliet. Let's rewrite the tragedy." Kazuya felt himself nodding. She cracked a smile. "Then I'll let you take my virginity. Now."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

0-0

_Present_

Frowning, Kelly stared at the opposite wall. She remembered now. This place, this room—she remembered it clearly. She had lost her virginity here at the age of sixteen. She had given it away, in this room, twelve years ago. Her captor had returned her to the bed and shackled her ankle again before leaving. Kazuya Spencer. How cruel she had been to him. She now felt horribly guilty for what she had done to him. All this was her own fault. _"I was so stupid back then. And now I'm paying for it."_ She didn't even want to know who else had paid the price of her foolishness. Surely, there were others. But she couldn't think about that right now. She needed to find a way out of this place. She had nothing to help her, though. Her eyes squeezed shut. Nothing to help but her mind. She would have to trick him. Again. Kelly released a sigh. _"Lovely." _Her sarcastic thought was equipped with a scowl. She didn't think she would have to resort to those means ever again.

Hopefully, it wouldn't end in regret.

Hopefully, it wouldn't end in death.

0-0


End file.
